Prince Tonight
by raoulofrage23
Summary: AU, set in Ancient Egypt. A young Ryou tries to cope with being royalty. When he is banned from his brother's parade, he gets a little rebellious and sneaks along. However, trouble finds him in the dark alleyways of Cairo. Rated T for Teen. COMPLETE
1. Prologue

AN: Okay, so this next story is something that hit me when I was watching a MV. (Don't ask…it was really random at the time.) I'm hoping it'll turn out well…Again, it's an AU fiction.

Characters:

-Ryou: Prince of Egypt, age 8

-Nyq: Crown Prince of Egypt, age 16

-Marik: Captain of the Guard, age 18

More will be added as the story progresses. Please read on, and enjoy.

**Prologue**

_A small child stood watching, hidden from view by an entrance pillar and cradled his limp, bleeding arm. His eyes, filled with despair, took in the scene in front of him. Screams tore the air apart, the clash of metal rang mercilessly, and strewn about were bodies…kicked and stepped on during the fight. Anyone living cared not for the departed. The once beautiful garden now had blood everywhere. _

_He fell to his knees as his eyes fell over the recognizable corpse before him. A few arrows had pierced his chest, ending his life wickedly slow for none had hit vital organs. With shaking hands, the boy touched the body, faintly calling a name. There was no answer. His hands grabbed the clothing of the fallen as his shoulders hunched. _

_Soft crying would have been heard had the fighting stopped. Yet no one took heed. With a scream, he cursed the heavens. Behind him, a shadow loomed, a sword glinting in the air. _

-Prophecy of the 21st Storytelling Augar, titled 'The Fall of Egypt'

---Palace of the Pharaoh---

"You must learn to cope with your responsibilities!" an angry voice said.

Wide, round chocolate brown eyes peeked out from behind the heavy door, glancing down both directions of the hall. Across the hall was a lit room, and from there, a second voice was heard.

"I have too many! Give some to Ryou!" It was a high pitch for a male, but it was a male none-the-less. "He has so much time on his hands, father."

Ryou slipped out from his door and softly treaded toward the voices.

"Nyq…you are the _Crown Prince_ of Egypt, not Ryou. Unless you wish for me to hand the position to your younger brother-"

"I never said I'll give it to him! It's just that he doesn't do anything. He sits and reads and writes. He doesn't even know how to properly mount a horse! Father, you could at least teach him _accounting _so he could be actually useful-"

Strong hands yanked him away from the conversation, and the child gasped in surprise. The Captain of the Guard, clad in full armor, glanced down at him and frowned. "You shouldn't be up so late, my prince."

Sheepishly, Ryou looked away and murmured, "I was curious. They were so loud that I couldn't sleep."

The young captain took the child's hand and led back to his room. "Pay no heed to your brother's ramblings, my prince. He is stressed from all of today's preparation activities for the festival tomorrow." He placed Ryou on the bed, bade goodnight with a bow, and turned to leave.

Ryou was quiet for a moment before he asked curiously, "How come I can't help?"

Halfway out the door, the Captain paused. "What would you like to help with, my prince?"

The prince opened his mouth, closed it, and frowned. This puzzled him…what _did _he want to help with?

"Sleep well, your royal highness. The festival is tomorrow. You will need rest."

Ryou rolled over to his side, pulling his thin coverlet up a little. He wasn't really looking forward to the festival. After all the complaining he heard from Nyq, it didn't seem like it was going to mount to anything actually good.

In the end, it turned out to lead to one good thing. One.

But well worth it.

AN: Does it sound interesting at all? Shall I continue? Please review!


	2. What Gold Does

AN: Alright, here's the first chapter. Please enjoy!

The Vampire Prince: Hehe, here's the first chapter. I'm glad you liked the prologue. Thanks for the review, and read on.

dragonlady222: Cool! Thanks. I'm hoping this one will turn out pretty good. (Letto Etto Boo didn't quite turn out the way I wanted it to, but…I'm satisfied, because the ending was great.) Thanks for the review!

Anei Aikouka: Should I move them? It's just…they're part of the storyline much later on. I could move them, if they really stick out like a sore thumb. Thanks for the review, and your feedback on that. Any suggestions would be great!

Chapter One: What Gold Does

The sun blinded him that morning. It was enough to get him out of bed, but not enough to get his mind functioning. Even when he tripped over his own feet and fell hard, it didn't really hurt. It also didn't occur to him that he had woken quite late. On his first attempt to dress, he forgot to wear the custom-made outfit for the party. Back into the closet he went, groggily dragging his feet.

He came out in the right attire, yet something was not right. It seemed he had misplaced his new shoes. Time was of essence, since the breakfast was going to start soon. However, even though he tried to wash his face and brush up as fast as he could, it seemed Lady Luck was not on his side. The water hadn't been replenished, the towel was missing, and his brush was no where to be found.

As he contemplated on whether or not he should actually look for his shoes or not, Ryou shrugged and slipped on his favorite sandals before making his way toward breakfast.

Of course, after all the bad luck this morning, he arrived last. Nyq gave him an irritated glare while his father's eyes glowered. Ryou could feel all the eyes just burning through him. Holding his head high, he bowed to his family members and took his seat.

"Your face is red," murmured Marik, who was sitting next to him, as the King of Egypt started with a toast.

Ryou's appetite had disappeared in the short five minutes that he had been in the dining hall. He forced himself to down a few bites, but couldn't eat any more than that.

It seemed the meal dragged on forever. When would the main event start? When would they leave for the tour of the city? Would the day even be long enough for everything his brother had planned?

The only part he looked forward to was the tour of Egypt. Never having been outside the palace before, it was an exciting thought to be part of the multitude of people he saw each day from his window.

While he daydreamed, time passed more quickly. When the chairs started scraping against the flooring, Ryou could feel his heart racing.

The one thing he feared was –

"Ryou, you are to stay behind."

The child paled. He looked at his father with disbelieving eyes. This wasn't supposed to happen! He was going to go and see the city! See the happy people, the seemingly endless streets of vendors, the entertainers, even the children running all over!

His father's eyes narrowed as Ryou's face took on a defiant look. "You will stay behind. It will be sufficient punishment for being late this morning. Understand?"

"Father," Ryou started. He didn't want to sound so whiny, but he couldn't help it. "I want to go! I promise I'll-"

"Stay." Short, concise, and to the answer. It was like a command, as if he were a dog of some kind. It ticked him off, but he knew he had to obey. After all, it was in _that _tone of voice.

He lingered a moment longer, hoping in vain that his father would change his mind. Nothing happened, so he spun around quickly and left, stomping angrily.

Ryou vented for another fifteen minutes before he found himself in front of the Royal Garden.

It was his favorite place to read because…it had no walls.

At least, not in his point of view. Sure, steel gates barred the eden from the rest of the world. However…the fence was definitely climbable from the marble fountain near the back.

Ryou glanced around, feeling quite clever at his discovery. The parade of servants, soldiers, dancers, ladies, and royalty would begin soon. If he left now, he could trail them the whole way.

No one saw the blur of gold streak across the garden and leap over the fence from the sparkling fountain of water.

-----------------------------  
--Somewhere in Cairo--

"Move along!" a voice shouted as a whip cracked in the air.

Feet shuffled as mumbling arose from the line of slaves, their chains clinking. Ryou watched in fascination and fear from the shadows as the line progressed forward, toward a long wooden podium. Standing in front of the structure was the Crown Prince, the Pharaoh, and other royalties. Women, seated in throne-like chairs that were carried by servants and slaves, fanned themselves as the noon sun rose high.

At the age of sixteen, the Pharaoh had deemed his son worthy to have a slave as his disposal only. This would also serve as a test, to see if he could tolerate, as well as not abuse, his power over others.

The first ones to go were the women slaves. Each stood up there as the overseer explained their talents and their price.

Nyq's eyes scrutinized every inch of every slave before he shook his head. _He's too picky, _Ryou thought as Nyq waved his hand at the next one. _I would've just picked one and got it over with. _After the first chain of slaves were excused, another string appeared. Again, they were all women.

He was getting bored. Eventually, male slaves were brought forth, but Ryou had lost interest by then. He wandered around the outer ring of onlookers, trying to find something to occupy his time with while staying in the shade. _Stupid Nyq! I want to go sightseeing! _

Dark, shadowed backways caught his eye. Ryou hurried toward the closest one and peeked down. All he saw was garbage. As he passed by another alleyway, Ryou thought about exploring Cairo on his own. He would become an expert in the maze of Cairo's streets. His family would be in danger, and they would have to flee the palace. However, when they reached the town, they wouldn't know the way, so it would be _he _who saves the day!

His grand dream was still flying until a hand grabbed his shoulder. Never really handled roughly in his life before, Ryou was stunned as he was thrown against a wall.

It was too dark to make out faces, but someone had pinned him. Finally, it occurred to the small prince that he was in danger.

"What's a wee little thing like you doing in fancy clothes like that?" sneered a voice. There was a snicker as another silhouette formed next to the first.

"Does he got any treasures on him?" the second voice asked eagerly.

Hands searched for pockets as Ryou tried to squirm out of the man's hold. "Nope, nothing."

There was a groan of disappointment.

"But don't worry! We can sell his pretty clothes for a lot of-"

Ryou bit his captor's hand, and immediately regretted it. The taste of dirt, sand, salt, and human excretement hit his tongue.

There was a howl, and then a flash of pain.

For the first time in his life, Ryou had been struck. His eyes grew wide as he stared at his captor, who stared back at him.

Then he screamed.

---------------------

Bakura grinned, slipping into an alleyway. He carefully hid the chains he had picked under a pile of garbage, glancing about. Stupid Ari, ditching him and leaving _him _to be caught. _Wait till I find you, you filthy traitor._ Massaging his chaffed wrists, Bakura glanced back once before running deeper into Cairo.

It had been a close call. His string of slaves, which he had been a part of until a few minutes ago, would've gone up to auction next. However, upon finding a small, golden hairpin on the ground, he had picked his locks and fled.

"First things first," Bakura murmured to himself, trying to think of a sanctuary. A thief wouldn't be accepted into a religious building of any sort, of course. That ruled out most of the-

A screech broke straight into his thoughts. He glanced at his right, up another alley, and saw two men upsetting a child.

He would've just shrugged, thought nothing of it, and left. Yet the glint of gold caught his eye and he couldn't resist.

The gold was finely crafted into the hem of the clothes, which were made specifically for one person. The goldsmith must have been very skilled, because the inlaid-gold shirt looked quite lithe.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one with that thought as the men tried to tear the clothes of the child.

Bakura swiftly ran up the alleyway, flexing his arms. It had been a while since his hands were so far apart, and with no restraints. This was going to be fun.

It started with a high roundhouse kick to the closest man's head. The man's forehead hit the wall and he crumbled to the ground as Bakura threw a fist into the second man.

This one was more prepared than his companion. He blocked the first blow, but stood no chance against the knee that filled his vision just a split second later. Simply put, he was too slow.

Bakura smirked, satisfied with his work. _I was a little too slow, I guess, but that's because I haven't fought in a while. _

He turned to the child and said, "Madam, were these men…" he trailed off as a boy looked up at him. Streaks of wetness overlapped his dirty face. The child had obviously been crying.

Bakura, seeing the long white hair, had assumed it was a girl. He blinked, and couldn't help but stare. It was looking in a mirror of the past or something, but seeing a somewhat more innocent and noble version of himself. Innocent, because those eyes were filled with…trust. Something Bakura had lost a long time ago.

"Are…are you okay?" Bakura muttered, running a hand through his own mane of white hair.

The child sniffled, ducking his head. With a clear voice, he said, "I'm fine…" When he looked up again, one couldn't even see the tear stains.

"Stop right there!" someone shouted.

Marik stood at the entrance of the alleyway, sword in hand, with the Pharaoh looming behind him.

Suddenly, Bakura found himself surrounded by the Royal Guards. At that moment, everyone seemed to be glaring at him.

AN: So, Bakura has now joined the story! Here's his info:

-Bakura: Thief, but was caught and made a slave, age 17.

AN: Please review, and thanks for reading so far.


	3. Collision

AN: Okay! So, here's the next chapter early by a few days. I liked the reviews I got, so I decided to post it sooner.

Thanks to…

The Vampire Prince: Hehe, really? Guess what? I was thinking of you when I wrote that. Lol. Don't kill me! Thanks for the review.

dragonlady222: Yeah, I hope so, too. Read on, and you shall find out. Thanks for the review!

HanChan: Why thank you! I hope you enjoy this story thus far.

Anei Aikouka: I'm glad you liked the previous chapter. I fixed the grammical error you pointed out ("saw the saw"). I hope you like this one as well. If there's anything really wrong with it, please tell me. I'll revise it. Oh, and the prologue. Would it be okay if I kept the part in Italics and moved the conversation to later? When I think about it, the 'figures' wouldn't really have to appear as long as I kept the italic part. Thanks for the advice and feedback! (And I tried not to put a cliffy at the end.)

Chapter Two: Collision

The sleeve of the man was blocking Ryou's view. All he could see a ton of sandaled feet, but nothing other than that. However, the silence really scared him. The echo of the chatting of the common people had all but halted. The sudden quiet was really unsettling.

A familiar, icy voice froze his entire spine as it said, "Kneel, or you shall face death."

There was a moment before the man moved out of Ryou's vision.

And in front of him stood what looked like the entire Egyptian Royal Guard with the Pharaoh at the head, Marik beside him.

His father didn't look happy. Ryou swallowed hard as he thought about all the trouble he was going to be in. Trembling, he got to his feet. However, when he opened to mouth to make up an excuse, his father took a step forward.

"I thought I said kneel!" he barked.

It took a moment for Ryou to realize that his father wasn't focused on him. Rather, at the man standing in front of him. He saw the fists clench and unclench before the man rigidly kneeled. Ryou frowned inwardly. It wasn't every day that someone even thought of disobeying his father.

"Lower your gaze, commoner," spat a soldier, who Ryou recognized as Maverick, a highly respected guard. After hearing the distaste wrought in the man's voice, however, Ryou felt his admiration for Maverick falter. "Lower your gaze, or I'll off your head."

By the way the man paused, Ryou knew that he was glaring openly at the Pharaoh. The little prince had never seen such defiance. Slowly, the man's head bent down.

With a tight voice, the Pharaoh curtly said, "Ryou, come here."

Shyly, the boy stepped forward and joined his father trying not to stumble. Guards took their place behind the white-haired man and forcibly kept him kneeling with a hand on each shoulder.

"Who are you, and what were you doing to my son?" said the Pharaoh coldly. His eyes narrowed as the man looked up with mocking eyes.

"Why should I give you my name, when I do not have yours?"

A blur appeared in front of the man, and there was the sound of a slap. Bakura blinked, shaking his head. He hadn't seen that coming…Stealing a glance up, he was sort of surprised to see a European man. Cold gray eyes glowered down at him, warning him that disrespect may cost him his life.

The Pharaoh held up his hand and recalled his personal bodyguard. "We shall try once more, commoner. Give me your name and what you were doing with my son, or I am afraid Alec here will end your pitiful life here and now."

There was a moment of silence as Bakura observed Alec, who had his hand on a scimitar's hilt. The pale man wasn't too tall, but well built. His speed, though…

"I'm known as Bakura."

Ryou felt a presence behind him, and looked up to find himself face to face with Nyq. He looked quite mad.

"What is interrupting my festival?" the Crown Prince asked, annoyed. "If this man is causing trouble, execute him and get it over with."

The Pharaoh's temper flared. It could be seen in his mahogany eyes. "You will never learn to be king if you think only of yourself," he hissed softly. Nyq, shamefaced, looked away and found Ryou staring at him. Quickly, the child averted his gaze elsewhere. The Pharaoh turned back to Bakura, and asked, "What were you doing with my son?"

Bakura smirked. "Depends. I mistook him for a girl."

Ryou's face flared red, but as to why Marik and the Pharaoh grew angry was beyond his comprehension.

"You dared to touch the Prince!" Marik shouted, unsheathing his sword as he stalked forward.

Alec pulled him back as the Pharaoh fought to keep himself restrained.

"My, my." Bakura's grin widened. "What if I did?"

With something similar to a warcry, Marik dove at Bakura with his sword in hand. Bakura, it seemed, had more tricks up his sleeve. He yanked himself out of the hold of the guards and even took a sword from them.

There was a clash as Marik found himself crossed with Bakura. Marik's face revealed anger, while Bakura just grinned. "Ain't he a pretty thing?" Bakura said lightly. Marik roared as he kicked Bakura backwards. Right before hitting the ground, Bakura sprung into a backhand.

Guards rushed in, and a small blanket of dust swirled up. Ryou coughed slightly, watching Bakura with fascination.

Bakura kicked aside another guard, and knocked one out with the flat side of his sword. He looked so lithe, leaping and jumping gracefully to avoid being hit.

Until Alec stepped in.

Ryou didn't know where the man came from. All he knew was that Alec had been found, nearly dead in the desert, by his father. He rarely spoke, smiled, and never laughed. Ryou had always harbored a small feeling of fear and envy because Alec was much closer to his father than he was.

However, despite his fear, Ryou was also drawn to Alec. Swordplay was something Alec was superb at. The first day he recovered, he had asked to be a bodyguard for the Pharaoh. Immediately, the Royal Guard refused him, until every guard had been defeated by the white man.

The skirmish ended too soon for Ryou. Alec coolly strode toward the snow-haired man and grabbed his wrist so hard that Bakura winced and released the sword.

Twisting his arm slightly, Alec brought Bakura to his knees, his face expressionless. "Do not," he said, as he twisted a little further, "disturb the Pharaoh with your petty brawls and foolish remarks. Did you, or did you not touch the Prince?"

"He didn't." Ryou surprised himself when he exclaimed this. Seeing how these men all looked toward him, he quickly explained, "He chased away the bad people."

Marik clenched his jaw, his knuckles around his sword white. His eyes never left Bakura as he returned to the Pharaoh's side.

Alec was about to release Bakura when something caught his eye. He lifted the thief's arm up, pointing to a tattoo of some kind.

"The mark of a slave," Nyq said, taking a few steps forward. He examined it, smiling, as Bakura growled at him. However, the man was powerless as Alec held his arm tightly. "Yet…it's not crossed…"

"An escaped slave," the Pharaoh murmured.

Nyq sneered. "Father, I'll take him." When the Pharaoh looked slightly surprised, the Crown Prince quickly explained, "I shall break him in. He will obey my every whim."

Under his breath, Bakura muttered, "As if." He grimaced as Alec's hold tightened a bit.

"No!"

Stunned, Nyq sought the voice who refused his will, and found himself facing his brother.

"You aren't going to break anybody." Ryou glared at his brother, but was slightly irritated when a few guards started snickering. Did he just make a mistake? Ryou felt his face grow red for the second time as Nyq grinned.

"Don't you know anything, Ryou?" his older brother derided.

Ryou stamped his foot. He wasn't going to lose to his brother in front of everyone. "You can't have him!"

"And why not?"

Their father growled. "Enough of your imprudent conducts. I am tired of standing here and arguing about this." He pointed to Alec. "Take that man back to the palace. Get him working in the kitchen, and make sure he's chained. I don't want him escaping. Keep him away from the staff as well."

At Nyq and Ryou's puzzled looks, he said, "He shall be your servant, Ryou." When Nyq opened his mouth to argue, the Pharaoh held a hand up and explained, "After the man is broken in by you, Nyq. However…" Mahogany eyes narrowed. "If you kill him, the title of Crown Prince will no longer be yours to call."

Nyq bared his teeth, and let out a breath. He smiled, but it was obviously forced. "Yes, father. Now, if we may proceed with my festival?"

The Pharaoh nodded. "Marik, take Ryou home. I do not want to see him again at all today. He has caused enough trouble as it is."

A hammer came down on Ryou at his father's harsh words. Ryou bit back tears as the Royal Guard rearranged itself around the king and prince. _He didn't have to be so mean,_ Ryou thought, feeling quite hurt as the procession marched away.

"Come, little prince. It is time to go home."

Ryou looked up at Marik, who avoided his gaze. Sighing, the child mumbled, "So you're mad at me too, huh?" Gasping Marik's offered hand, Ryou lumbered forward, focusing on the ground.

"I'm…not mad at you, my prince."

"It seems like it," Ryou pouted.

"You gave me a scare today, is all. Please don't do that again, my prince."

Ryou could hear the concern in Marik's voice, but he couldn't promise not to do it again. As they neared the grand entrance of the palace, Ryou said, "I…I'll try not to."


	4. Break In

AN: Um…well, this is pretty late, and it was because I was lazy. XX Sorry! After Finals week, I just about died and took a break from the computer because I was just sick of it all. Here's the next chapter, and I'll try to stick to updating every few days. (I edit each chapter, and sometimes, I even erase the whole thing and start all over. This particular chapter took at least three tries to begin.) Oh, and I changed the first chapter. I decided to go without the conversation between the three peeps. So…yeah.

Chapter Three: Break In

With a sigh, a bored Bakura jammed a dull blade into a potato, slowly peeling it from the inside out. His hands jerked at it roughly, his expression looking as if he was ready to kill.

A rumble filled the air. "Now look here!" said the robust kitchen chief, a plump lady in her mid-forties. "You're ruining the food. Don't just stick the dang knife in like you're stabbing something! Honestly, folk like you ought to be sent to etiquette school first," she murmured under her breath.

Bakura growled at her as he dropped his current project. "This is pointless!" he argued. "I peel _one_, and there are four more to take its place! It's like an endless cycle of bull-"

"Welcome to the kitchen, never ending supply of food," said the chef sarcastically.

Lavender eyes narrowed. He had had enough of this already. Ever since he had been brought here yesterday, all he did was sit and peel and peel and peel some more while getting an earful about how a kitchen is the best place to be.

Just then, another cooking aid walked by and placed a full bowl of potatoes next to the endless others surrounding Bakura. He was about to go into another fit of frustration, and would have, had the snowy white hair not caught his attention.

It disappeared almost instantly. Bakura had to smile. His guess was that the little prince wasn't supposed to be out and about, especially right after that whole scene in public during the Crown Prince's birthday.

Even though he was watching for Snow White just out of the corner of his eye, the prince never came out again. It was getting really boring now, and Bakura had given up on the potato peeling.

"Are you enjoying your work, slave?" someone hissed from behind him.

Bakura straightened, growling. Sitting cross-legged with his back turned to the Crown Prince wasn't a favorable situation. He didn't have a chance to throw a comment back as he clouted on the head by a hand.

"Get up, mongrel," the Crown Prince ordered. When Bakura didn't move, he kicked the thief and ordered his two guards to undo the chains that held the slave down.

The thief could now see the Crown Prince clearly and up-close.

He had cleft chin that stuck out arrogantly, with two golden eyes. His high-set cheekbones accented his stubbornness and the way his shoulders were thrown back added to his egotistic figure. Even though he was handsome, the look of I-am-better threw everything off.

Bakura would have punched him, had the guards not held his arms at an awkward angle behind his back. Instead, he resorted to words.

"I have a name, dirtbag," Bakura said, glaring at the ground.

There was a scoff. "Look at me, thief," the prince ordered.

Bakura smirked. "I dare not, for fear of losing my eyesight." He wasn't about to lose to this pansy.

Nyq grew red as his guards snickered. "Shush up!" He gestured for his guards to follow as he led the way from the kitchen.

Struggling wasn't any good. Any movement sent jolts of pain running up his arms. Bakura grit his teeth as he was led deeper and deeper into the Palace, not knowing where he was headed.

But he had a good guess. Probably a dungeon.

When he was led through intricately woven wooden doors however, Bakura knew he was wrong. _What the hell…_Once inside the new room, the thief frowned. The bed, the desk, the balcony, the closet…_His bedroom? _

Nyq motioned for one of the guards to shut the door before he turned his full attention to Bakura.

He gave a thin smile as his hands swiftly brought Bakura's to the front. The guard behind him made sure to keep the thief's hands steady as the prince pulled out two metallic silver contraptions that resembled loops. The Crown Prince opened one of the loops and jammed it closed around Bakura's thin wrist. Pain shot through the thief's nerve system as if he had just been stabbed.

The surprise on Bakura's face pleased Nyq. He grinned as he did the same to Bakura's other arm. "Do you…like fire?"

The flicker of fleeting fear was enough to make Nyq's smile wider.

"Welcome to hell."

At that moment, despite anything Bakura would have later denied, the thief was scared shitless.

--Ryou's Room, a few days later--

"This sucks!" Ryou pouted, crossing his arms over his small chest. There was no response from Marik. Not what he wanted. It had been quite a few days since he had last laid eyes on the snow-haired man, and he was getting irritated. "Marik, let me out!" Ryou whined, his patience running thin.

"You can't leave this room," the Captain of the Guard said. His eyes were steeled against anything that the little prince would throw at him. "Your father said you are grounded, my prince. That means you stay in your ROOM."

"I'm sooooo bored!" Ryou wanted to scream. He was on the verge of tears. One stupid mistake of not noticing that someone was watching him peer into the kitchen had led to his confinement.

Marik didn't say anything. His excuse for keeping the little prince here was the fact that he was grounded…but his real reason was the curiosity of Ryou. The child had too much inquisitiveness for a human. Marik had to keep him away from the Crown Prince at any cost right now. He didn't want Ryou to see what Nyq might be driven to do to the pissant that they had caught a few days ago.

The child was so close to throwing a tantrum. He was going to shatter his lamp, his bedstand, anything within reaching distance if he didn't get out. He hated being confined like this.

He was about to say something when someone screamed. The noise tore through the air, only lasting a brief second. It sent a chill down Ryou's spine, and the child shivered. Agony clenched the little prince's heart hard before releasing itself. Pain hammered down on his shoulders and he let out a cry.

Marik winced. The scream had been cut short, thank the gods, but it still hurt his ears. Whatever Nyq was doing to break in the new slave, it was working. When he shook his head and looked back at Ryou, he was stunned to find the child was dumbfounded on his bed.

"Ryou?" Marik asked, worry obvious in his eyes.

Ryou slowly looked up from his hands, his chocolate eyes blank. Tears rimmed his eyes before he defiantly wiped them away. Sliding off the bed, he made sharply for the door.

Marik would have just watched him march away had his mind kept wavering. Quickly, the Egyptian blocked his prince's way. "You can't go out, my prince," Marik sternly said, looking down at Ryou.

"I don't want Bakura back dead!" Ryou shouted, taking a step forward. Marik threw an arm out, barring Ryou's path. Firmly, the Captain shook his head.

"Slaves don't have a name, my prince," Marik murmured halfheartedly, not believing his own words. Gently, the teen urged, "You mustn't leave. It was your father's decree that the Crown Prince do whatever it takes to break in the slave."

Ryou stared at the ground. "He's dying."

Marik didn't budge.

Slowly, the little prince met his eyes.

The Captain of the Guard almost had to take a step back. The fire and determination in Ryou's eyes was something he wasn't use to seeing. With his mouth set with resolve and his eyes daring Marik to disagree, the little prince growled.

"Let. Me. Out."

--- 

AN: So what do you think? Am I a little rusty? Okay, so the next chapter will be up by Monday at the latest. I will try to update every few days from now on, because I've been pretty bad about that… . Sorry once again, folks. It was my laziness…


	5. Monster

AN: I made it on time! (Then again, it IS Spring Break…) Well, hope you enjoy the next part of PT.

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: This 'other side' of Ryou is quite commanding. And I agree, the Pharoah can be an idiot sometimes. Poor Bakura…all he did was save the prince. Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: Yup, Ryou's growing into a good prince. I hope Kura's okay, too. Thanks for the review!

Chapter Four: Monster

Ryou was short of breath now, and growing worried. He had checked all the dungeons and he hadn't found Bakura. For some reason, though he barely knew the thief, he felt scared of what may have happened to him and that he may be too late.

The child cursed under his breath, using language any normal prince wouldn't have known. His heart felt like it was in his throat, clogging his airway, making his world spin.

He didn't know where to check anymore. Gritting his teeth and refusing to give up and cry, the little prince sprinted up the stairs and made his way toward the guard's barracks. The soldiers would know where Nyq was, wouldn't they?

The sun hit the child's vision full blast and blinded him for a moment. However, because Ryou knew exactly where he was going, he kept running, not fearing any collisions since no one would dare run into him.

Slowly color returned, and he saw the granite courtyard expand into a large arena filled with long buildings. He kept running, heading straight for the open field in the middle of the gargantuan soldier's quarters. Dust was everywhere, and it was collecting onto his white tunic and gold cape.

Maverick's red hair was bobbing in the distance, his practice sword brandished in his hand. A few weeks ago, Ryou would have been fascinated by the man's swordplay, but after seeing Bakura and Alec fight, Maverick didn't seem very remarkable.

"Maverick!" Ryou called, running up to the soldier he had once looked up to. "Do you know where Nyq is?"

The redhead blinked, his sword halting in midair. Confusion was writ all over his face. "Excuse me, my prince?" he asked, as if he had heard wrong.

"The Crown Prince! Where is he?" Ryou demanded to know.

Little did the child know that many people were not used to him sounding like actual royalty. Having him demand something was shocking to them.

"T-The blacksmith's forge," Maverick stuttered, and quickly added, "my prince."

Ryou called back a 'thank you' before taking off again. The sanded walls of the barracks blurred into the background as he focused on the trail that would take him to the blacksmith's.

_Please don't be too late…_he prayed, begging Ra to slow the cycle of the sun in hopes of granting him more time.

Smoke and burnt metal reached his nose before the forge came into sight. It was huge, complete with three different areas where crafting and smithing was done. The first one, used for shodding horses, was faced out toward the entrance. The other two were hidden in the back, and the little prince knew Nyq was in one of them.

Ryou slid to a stop and ran right in, being instantly thrown back into the dark and stifling heat. He slowed a little, feeling his way by throwing his hands out in front of him. It was difficult to breathe with the stuffy air. Sometimes he scuffed his feet on scattered tools and little metal scraps. It didn't occur to him that he didn't know what he was going to do when he found his brother.

Red flared into his vision, and he saw a crouched form, positioned right in front of the fire. Gold was donned on the person's head.

"Nyq!" Ryou shouted, stalking right up to the Crown Prince.

Surprised, the elder straightened. Most of him was engulfed in shadow, except for his face. His golden eyes grew wider as they took in Ryou.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked in an incredulous voice.

Ryou was about to throw an insult back until he saw, behind his brother, sprawled on the ground, the crippled body of the thief.

He fought hard against the flood of tears. He wasn't crying, not in pain and fear, but in anger. Anger for what had been done to his rescuer.

The snowy hair was clearly no longer white, being sullied so much from the ground. The trembling naked form was covered in burns, dirt, and bruises, and some things that looked like welts. His hands were bound in some metallic rings, and there was something terribly wrong with the teen's left shoulder.

"Ryou! Get out," Nyq ordered, planting his feet firmly. When his brother didn't move, the older one shoved him. He was very _very _tempted to show his younger brother a world of hurt after his failure in civilly breaking in the new slave. In his wrath he had done terrible things, but it all felt so good to take revenge on that smirking little bastard. "Are you deaf? I said get out!"

Ryou fell to the ground backwards, but his eyes never left Bakura. "W-why…why'd you…do that to him?" Ryou stammered, his own body aching just from seeing the thief's wounds.

Nyq let out a snarl. "He won't fcking break! Damn the bastard!" In his fury, Nyq turned and kicked the teen lying on the ground.

Another scream tore into the air, wrenching the child's heart with an iron grip. The little prince gave a small cry, pain taking over his mental state. He saw Nyq kick the thief again, demanding silence.

He grabbed the first thing he saw, which happened to be a sword with its tip still in the furnace. With a scream of his own, Ryou drove it deep into his brother's side.

Without seeing his brother fall, Ryou rushed forward and bent down, pulling the thief's head onto his lap. He heard his brother gagging but he chose to ignore him. The thief's eyes were shut tight as he shook, his body rigid with pain and cold. _How can he be cold in _this _place? _His breathing was labored, and it hurt Ryou to see him like this. With a wavering hand, the little prince touched the thief's face. He quickly withdrew it as the teen flinched, his body cringing. Ryou choked back a sob as he pulled Bakura closer.

"Nyq, you monster!" he screamed, his eyes slammed shut. He didn't care that his brother was in agony, possibly dying. How could he have done this to his thief? Ryou sobbed as he yanked his cape off, using it to warm the teen and cover his exposed form at the same time. As he pulled his arm back from tucking the cape around Bakura's waist, something cold brushed his elbow.

Bakura cried out, recoiling in pain. Ryou stared at the shoulder, disbelief clouding his mind.

"Nyq…what…" Ryou carefully examined the shoulder his hands shaking. What he saw confirmed his suspicions, and threw him into a rage. Melded right into the skin was a silver plate taking up the entire left shoulder, front and back…with the little prince's name engraved in it.

AN: Reviews, please? I hope it was good enough…


	6. I Want To Cry

AN: Hey, I got a bunch of reviews!! Hehe, that really made my day. Well, here's the next chapter! Please continue to leave a review. Even a few words really make a difference. The next chapter will be up by Friday.

PLEASE NOTE: This story is not a yaoi. Nothing against it, just that this one's only got brotherly love.

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: I completely agree that Ammet devour his soul. I don't think anyone will ever like him…However, Ryou on the other hand… Lol. Enough said, huh? Thanks for the review!

Britni: Why thank you! I hope you continue to read and review.  Thanks!

HanChan: I was going to update yesterday, but I added some more at the end and in the middle, so I hope you don't mind. And yeah, as much as I despise Nyq, I don't want Ryou to get in trouble for what happened to him. Thanks for the review! It's nice to hear from you again.

The Vampire Prince: Hehe, thanks. Sorry about updating a day late. I was going to do it earlier, but I added some more stuff in. Thanks for the review!

Anime WarriorSkye: Erk! I never did get the picture! Geez, it's sooo hard to get email addresses through this thing, huh? If you want to try again, I'll be glad to try again. I'm happy you like the story so far! Please read on, and thanks for the review!

Shamise: Thanks. I added some more to the middle and the end of this chapter right before I updated, so I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for the review!

Thank you to everyone for all the support! I hope you like the next chapter…though I have a feeling you'll like six better.

Chapter Five: I Want To Cry

It was stifling. The heat, the anger, the agony. It was getting hard to breathe. He had never felt like this before. His mind yearned for air, fresh air. But somewhere else inside of him, there was a darkness that screamed to be let out. He felt mesmerized by its lull for power and thirst for blood.

"It was a tribute to you, little brother," Nyq said, somewhat smugly. "Isn't it a nice touch? The bastard certainly obeyed me with much more conviction after I did that to him!" Nyq chuckled, his shoulders shaking. Slowly, it grew into a cackle as he threw back his head, looking like a crazed maniac on the floor. Soon he grimaced and coughed, his side bleeding profusively, his eyes glazed over with pain as he cried for his father.

_A tribute? _Ryou felt so lost. _Is this…my fault?_ A venomous snarl rippled through the child's mental realm._ **No. **_The darkness inside of him contracted, sending a chilling sensation throughout his body. His breathing stopped momentarily as the shade wrapped its arms around his shoulders. Hatred had wedged itself into the child's heart. Then came the command, **_Kill him. _**

Slowly, a small hand gripped the handle of the sword that had been driven into the Crown Prince earlier. Its tip was still red, not cooled yet.****The sensitive chocolate eyes of the small prince were no longer the tinge of brown. It held a bloody shade that glowered as the sword rose in the air.

"My prince!"

The child snapped to attention, his hold on the sword released as his eyes shot back to the color brown. Fear of what he was going to do nearly made him cry. _Did I…was I going to?…_ His grip on the thief tightened as footsteps came closer. "Don't touch him!" he said, his voice shrill. Scared of what he had almost done, and of what others would see him as, Ryou shoved the thought of taking a life out of his mind as he pulled his thief closer. Somehow, this gesture brought a little comfort to his mind, which was in shambles.

When Ryou looked up, he found himself glaring at a taken aback Marik. The child grunted in surprise, looking behind the crouched captain to find Nyq being carried out by two of his father's personal guards. The Pharaoh himself was pale, but he did not move to comfort either of his sons, or to see if the teen in the little prince's arms was still alive.

Marik knelt down, frowning and quite concerned with Ryou's odd behavior. "Prince Nyq is gone. We've taken him away, my prince. Let us see the slave." When there was no reaction from Ryou, the Captain tried again. "It's okay now. No one is going to hurt him anymore." He reached for Bakura, saying, "Let me see his wounds."

"Don't touch him," Ryou demanded again, his voice much lighter than the shadowy tone he had used before. It heard a weariness that made him sound much older than his years. His eyes dared Marik to disobey.

"My prince, if you don't let me see him, he is going to rot in your arms," a cold voice hissed.

Ryou glanced up in shock, meeting the frozen azure eyes of Seto Kaiba, High Priest of Egypt.

"He's still alive," Kaiba said frankly. "And he's in pain. I can ease that, but not if you refuse to let anyone touch him."

The little prince bit his lower lip. The ragged breathing of the thief in his arms was stabbing his conscience each time, as if to prove that he couldn't do anything. Ryou loosen his grip as he looked away.

"Please…be careful," Ryou murmured, allowing Kaiba to take the limp body of his thief. "Could you…treat him in my room?" At the prince's odd request, Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "I don't want Nyq getting near him again."

"I will, my prince," the brunette priest promised, nodding in understanding as he quickly turned away. "I will." He hurried out, his robes fluttering behind him as he barked orders to his subordinates.

Ryou was on the edge of a mental breakdown. Everything was so messed up, so confusing, and he was terrified. Terrified of what he had nearly been pushed to do.

"Ryou," the Pharaoh's voice said. His eyes were direct as he made his way toward his youngest son.

Ryou quickly straightened, forcing the hysteria in his mind down. Despite his efforts though, he still looked quite disheveled.

There was a slap as the Pharaoh backhanded the little prince.

Stunned, Ryou slowly looked back at his father, tears rimming his eyes. It had hurt, and right now, he really wanted to just cry. _This is too much. _

"Choosing a slave over your older brother!" the Pharaoh seethed.

Ryou winced, backing away. _I can't take this…stop it! Stop it! _Someone pulled him away from his father's oncoming form.

"Forgive me, Pharaoh, but I fear for the prince's condition." Ryou gripped Marik's hand hard as he hid behind the captain, softly crying. There were no words that could express his thanks in his friend's bold comment. "If I may get him checked for any wounds?"

As silence hung in midair, Ryou begged the gods to bend his father's stubborn will just this once. He couldn't afford to breakdown in front of his father. There was no way he would get away with just a lecture about how royalty must not falter or lose face in front of their subjects.

"Take him away. I don't want to see him again today," the Pharaoh growled. "I don't want to see _anyone_."

Marik humbly bowed as he pulled the prince out of the blacksmith's forge urgently. As soon as fresh air hit the child's face, a wave of just everything washed over him.

The Captain caught Ryou as he fainted.

--Ryou's Room--

Seto Kaiba's brow was furrowed in concentration as he tried to stop the bleeding around the metal that seemed to consume the thief's entire left shoulder. It wouldn't clot, and blood loss would lead to death if he didn't do something quickly.

"Idiotic people like you make me grow old," Kaiba growled, applying a balm onto the border of the plate. It would work for now, but it would have to be washed off and reapplied every hour or so, until it clotted properly.

Next, the priest saw the to burns in his patient's midsection. Most of them weren't too bad, and shouldn't leave scars, but they were going to hurt a heck of a lot whenever he took a bath.

When Kaiba turned the thief onto his stomach, he clenched his teeth. "Why the hell couldn't you just bow down…" Kaiba murmured, wincing as he tried to sew up one of the lacerations on Bakura's back. The lashes from a brutal flogging riddled the teen's back, including the back of his legs and his buttocks. That was definitely going to hurt to sit on.

The High Priest turned the thief back over onto his back after he had applied more balm and bandaged the worst cases of the whipping (always avoiding taping over the metallic shoulder, though) before he took a moment to take a drink of water.

Someone knocked, and Kaiba called for them to come in.

A servant bowed as she said, "The Pharaoh demands your presence at the Crown Prince's side, High Priest."

Kaiba scowled. "Tell the Pharaoh that I will be there in five minutes." He tossed the girl a silver coin as he turned back to his current patient.

There was another knock, and Kaiba irately called, "Come in."

This time, the snow-haired prince shyly came in. "Is…is he alright?"

Kaiba studied the depressed little prince before nodding. "He'll be fine. Don't touch his shoulder." He got up, getting ready to leave. "I have to tend the Crown Prince right now. I'll be back within the hour. Don't wake him."

Ryou settled himself next to the bed, mute, as Kaiba left. The priest threw back a worried glance once before he closed the door behind him. The child looked the thief over, taking in the damage. As his eyes fell on the four hieroglyphic letters, the child broke down crying.

AN: I was going to put it up on Wednesday, but I expanded a little on it. I hope that makes up for the lateness. (Though I'm only a day off…) I wonder if Ryou's mental condition is too much…But I promise it gets happier! I'll update by Friday, or sooner. Thanks so much for all the reviews! Please review again. Thanks.


	7. Unexpected

AN: Wah! I didn't realize that Friday was the next day! I think I posted this around midnight…so…um…close enough to Friday, right? Eheheh…

Thanks to…

Anime WarriorSkye: I hope this chapter is a little brighter than the last. I kind of like Seto Kaiba, so I didn't want him to be evilly wicked, or something. As for Marik, we both know…hehehe. Thanks for the review!

Shamise: No problem! Thanks for the review!

dragonlady222: Erk! Nyq better watch his back. As for the Pharaoh…I don't think Ryou would be strong enough to take his father's life. But we never know! Now that you mention it, there seems to be a LOT of kings that lose their throne due to assassinations. Hm…thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: I do, too! Yami and Yugi may or may not be in this story. I'm not so sure yet…still deciding. Thanks for the review, couz!

Chapter Six: Unexpected

Moonlight filtered in from the open balcony of the little prince's room, draping itself over the two sleeping forms. In the pale radiance, Ryou and Bakura's white hair shimmered as if it were sanctified.

The little prince was quietly snoring away, drained from the day and his daily hour routine of re-applying medicine and bandages to his patient. Right now was one of the few times he would get rest, and he was taking advantage of it.

The body beneath the covers of the bed stirred, and a soft groan escaped his lips. Bakura winced as his shoulder screamed in pain when he tried to move his left arm.

_Shit…_Bakura gritted his teeth. _It…hurts…_He glanced around the room, the first thing on his mind being escape. The patio caught his eye, along with the great tree that stood beside it. He could climb down and run for the city.

_But not with an arm like this…_It was then that Bakura noticed the child.

Slumped over on the side of the bed, sitting on a chair with his arms spread out as a pillow slept the little prince.

Looking at him, Bakura tried to feel contempt. Contempt for the suffering he went through, contempt for his current condition. But it didn't work. For some odd reason, Bakura felt no hatred toward the child next to him.

Propping himself into a sitting position, and trying not to scream whenever his left arm brushed the blankets, Bakura studied the little prince. He vaguely recalled what this child had done in the forge, but it was all in pieces. There were glitches here and there, and the only clear part he remembered was the prince crying.

_He's shivering. _Bakura hesitantly poked the child, hoping to wake him. The child didn't respond. The thief poked the child again, a little harder, waiting in anticipation for a bewildered response.

Still nothing. The thief heaved a sigh as his gaze swept the room again, this time searching. He couldn't find what he was looking for, so he slid out of the bed with great difficulty.

He was about to move the prince onto his proper resting area when his shoulder screamed in agony. Wincing, Bakura grabbed it, and quickly regretted his action. Blinded by the pain, he stumbled sideways, nearly knocking a lamp off of the bedside stand. Catching it with his right arm, Bakura righted it and took a few steps back…only to run right into another table. The lean and tall table was situated in front of the fire, and would've crashed straight into the ground had the thief not grabbed its edge and straightened it.

Letting out a gasp in pain, Bakura nearly fainted when nausea hit him. Barely standing now, Bakura was near the point of absolute frustration with Ra when the form of the little prince stirred.

Bakura froze, forcing back his exhaustion and pain to take on a composed stance. He wasn't sure why, but he stood quietly and still as the prince rubbed his eyes and stretched as if he were in a trance. Then, when the kid lurched to his feet, Bakura knew the child had seen the empty bed.

Ryou spun right around and came face to face with his thief.

It really surprised the thief when relief washed over the child's features.

"I thought brother took you away again…" Ryou murmured tiredly, his shoulders sagging.

Silently, Bakura shook his head. He frowned. The child looked like a haggard old man who had gone through a strenuous life, and that irked Bakura.

When the thief said nothing, and just warily stared at him, Ryou looked away, averting his gaze to his left. The thief looked okay, but…didn't Seto say to change his bandages every hour regardless?

Ryou timidly took a step toward the bedside stand and grabbed the balm. Then he walked up to Bakura, who immediately backed away.

The thief growled, his eyes flashing. "Don't touch me."

Speechless, Ryou withdrew his hand, feeling hurt by Bakura's outburst. "I…I need to change your bandages," he whispered, his cheeks burning.

Bakura blinked. Had he heard correctly?

Ryou gathered the courage to take another step toward the thief, and when Bakura made no move to evade him, the child gently reached for the bandage around the teen's midsection.

His hands slightly shook as he asked the thief to raise his arms. He had to unravel the bandage…

Bakura cautiously complied, and watched as Ryou took the old, dirty bandage off, applied some balm, and placed a new wrap on. The whole time, the prince was very close to the thief's battered body.

Ryou did this with Bakura's back, avoiding the left shoulder. Then when he finished, he reached for a water cloth, to cleanse the border of the metal plate.

"Could you, um…sit on the bed?" Ryou shyly asked. He pointed to Bakura's shoulder. "I have to clean that."

Bakura stared at the child again. When Ryou looked down, he stood where he was a little longer before deciding that an infected shoulder would hurt a hell of a lot more than what he felt now.

Somewhat grumpily, Bakura plopped himself down on the bed and turned his left side toward Ryou.

Ryou bit his lip in concentration as he slowly and carefully wiped the old medicine off. Bakura clenched his teeth against the pain and tried to think of something else as his left arm stung like crazy. It felt like something was so cold that it was hot.

"I'm done," a soft voice announced.

Bakura grunted, and pulled away from the child as he mentally strained the agony he was in to a minimum.

There was a small choking sound before a faint crying filled the room. Bakura slowly looked at the little child as he cried, hiccupping with his shoulders hunched and shaking.

The thief, not knowing what to do, hesitantly placed a hand on the child's head, and crouched to face him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

Lavender eyes widened as the child, with no warning, buried his face into the thief's right shoulder, still sobbing. Bakura's first reaction would have been pulling away, but then he had a second thought.

Uncertain that what he was doing was right or wrong, the teen wrapped his right arm around the child's small frame, and held him until the child ceased his crying.

--

AN: So what'd you think? Am I dragging? Going too slow? Or is it fine? Argh, please review!


	8. To The City

AN: Hm, I don't really have much to say this time…uh, enjoy the following chapter!

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: He's too young to go through such things, isn't he? Poor Ryou indeed…but hopefully, he'll have Marik and Bakura to support him, yes? As for Nyq…argh, I don't want to even go there. Hehehe, thanks for the review!

gecko-grl-2: Thank you very much! I hope you review again.

The Vampire Prince: Erk! There's not much in this chapter…Thanks for the review!

Anime WarriorSkye: Really? That's great to know! And about the computer being evil…I know that too well. Eheheh…(kicks mine). I'm glad you like the description, though I believe this chapter doesn't have that much. Thanks for the review!

Chapter Seven: To The City

When Ryou finally stopped crying, he was so tired that he nearly fell asleep instantly. Bakura said nothing as he placed the prince into the bed, ignoring his throbbing arm for now.

The child stared at Bakura, his eyes heavy with confusion as he tried to fight off sleep.

"What is it?" Bakura asked.

Ryou only hesitated for a moment. "Bakura…is there something wrong with me?"

There was no hesitation as the thief replied, "Nothing." Then, curious as to the origin of such an odd question, he asked, "Why?"

No answer. The child had already fallen asleep. Bakura sighed as he pushed the conversation out of his mind.

_I can't stay here…I've got to get out. _Despite his thoughts, the thief lingered there, sitting next to the sleeping prince. As time slowly went by, Bakura tried to figure out why he was so uncertain and undecided about leaving.

He couldn't stand this place, with all its arrogant people and power-hungry fiends. _So why am I still here? _His wounds seemed reason enough, since the medicine being used to treat him was quite expensive and hard to come by.

But he knew that wasn't the reason.

Bakura glanced at the little prince, and cursed his luck. Then he settled himself next to the bed, pulling up the chair from the table in front of the fire.

The only thing that made him stay that night was that the child would cry over his disappearance.

---  
The Next Morning  
--- 

Marik chortled a vivacious 'good morning' as he walked into Ryou's room. Almost instantaneously, he grew red.

Bakura sat at the table, a grape halfway in his mouth, grinning wickedly at Marik's display of greeting. Ryou, who was sitting across from him, glanced back and smiled.

"Good morning, Marik," Ryou replied, his voice a little heavy from lack of sleep.

"What's he doing, eating with you?" Marik asked, incredulous.

Bakura seized his opening. "Aren't you supposed to say 'my prince' at the end of that?"

As Marik grew even redder, Ryou quickly added, "No, it's fine. He's a friend, so he doesn't have to."

"In private, little one," Marik corrected. "In public, it is a different issue."

"How so?" the thief asked, playing the devil's advocate. Bakura munched on another grape, stretching a little.

Marik stared at the thief as he continued to eat the prince's breakfast. "You…boor." He stalked over to the table, and grabbed Bakura's wrist.

Raising an eyebrow, Bakura looked quite amused. His gaze went from Marik's hand and up to match the Captain's glower. "You think you can stop me?"

Marik gritted his teeth. In a strained voice, he said, "Such disrespect to the prince is intolerable. Slaves are not allowed to feast with royalty, nonetheless their masters."

"I'm not a slave," Bakura growled. He shook Marik off, and went back to eating his meal. "I don't belong to anyone but myself."

"Nonsense. You belong to the prince. That plate on that shoulder of yours has his name on it-"

"Marik," Ryou warned.

The Captain froze, knowing that he had overstepped his boundaries. Looking away, he gave an apology.

Ryou then offered, "Marik, have some grapes. They're delicious."

The soldier didn't know how many times he had been surprised by the little prince in the past week. Since when did he go against protocol so often? Ever since this thief had showed up, a side of Ryou that Marik had never seen had been revealed. A side that held a promising prince, as well as the defiant child that was hidden all along.

"No one is watching, Marik," Ryou added softly. He picked up the bowl and held it in front of him. "Try one."

Slowly, Marik took the fruit from the basin. As he munched on it, Ryou smiled happily and slid off of his chair. Marik watched him as he fetched medicine and bandages before standing next to Bakura.

"It's time to change those," Ryou said, referring to Bakura's shoulder.

"I can do it myself now," Bakura murmured, but lowered his arm without further protest.

Ryou carefully undid the previous binding, cleaned the dried blood, and applied more balm. As he tried to put on a new layer of bandages, Marik lent a hand. Silently, he held the first one in place gently, taking care not to harm the thief, as Ryou finished his work.

Bakura rose, slowly moving his left shoulder. He winced. "Well, it's not as painful as before, Ryou."

"That's good."

"You mustn't…call the prince so casually in public if you don't want to create trouble for him," Marik muttered.

Bakura sighed. "If it makes you feel better, I won't. Besides, I'm not that stupid." Ryou opened his mouth to say something. However, Bakura ruffled his hair lightly before any words made it out and asked him, "What do you want to do today?"

At the prince's confused look, Bakura quickly explained, "You've been stuck inside for quite a few days because of me. Don't you want to go out and try something?" A single thought clouded Bakura's mind. _That way, I can leave with ease. And peace of mind, somehow. _The snow-haired teen quickly swatted the thought away, the notion of staying still wavering in his mind.

"When father sees me out of my room, he'll make me study," Ryou quietly said. "But…I would like to go horseback riding."

"Then let's go."

At Marik's words, both Ryou and Bakura exchanged looks.

"We can take lunch in the garden, or if you want, in the city," Marik hurriedly said. "I'll make sure the Pharaoh never finds out about it."

There was a small silence before Ryou giggled. "The city! Let's go the city!" Bakura chuckled as the prince scrambled for some cloaks. "I want to see the new obelisk, and visit the water fountains, and-"

The next five minutes were a little hectic as they decided how to get to the city, how to smuggle out horses, and how to make sure no one recognized them.

As they prepared to leave for the bustling Cairo from the balcony, Ryou gave Marik a hug and a thanks.

The Captain waved it off, smiling sheepishly, as they walked out onto the patio. Bakura casually said to Marik, "You know, you blush too easily."

AN: Sorry for it being so short. I got writer's block for a minute, in the beginning. I couldn't decide where to go from there…please review and tell me what you think of the outcome. I hope you liked the chapter.


	9. Foiled Again

AN: I was going to update sooner, but I've been caught up with school all week. I slept in all Spring Break, and then had to get up at seven in the morning! Which is really hard after all that sleeping in… Anyhow, one class took up all my time. I mean, the teacher would tell me that he was going to be in the classroom at eight in the morning to let me in to finish my tests. And what a surprise, he wasn't there half the time. Geez, thank god it's Friday.

To apologize for the late chapter, I sort of combined two into one, and made this one a little longer. Please enjoy!

Thanks to…

flyingshadow666: I'm sorry it took so long to update! School is really hard right now, because my extracurricular activities are throwing everything off. I need to start organizing my schedule more neatly! I'll update by Sunday. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks for the review!

dragonlady222: Yes, Ryou is really making strong bonds, and with great people. The prince he is becoming is maturing as well. Thanks for the review!

Mystik Genie: lol. You're an entertaining one. I'm sorry it took so long to bring the next chapter. I really had no time at all this week. I promise the next chapter, Nine, will be up by Sunday. Thanks for the review!

Anime WarriorSkye: Marik's still kind of cute in his own sort of way though. I'm glad I don't have really short chapters…I know when I first started posting, they were kind of short. This one is kind of long, though, this chapter…Thanks for the review, and I'm sorry it's late! Stupid school is ruining my life sometimes…but I know it'll help in the long run.

The Vampire Prince: They do, don't they? But that just goes to show how much they care for Ryou, though Bakura may not seem like it. This chapter is a little longer, so I hope you like it. Thanks for the review!

Chapter Eight: Foiled Again

"Out only for lunch, though. We have to be back before dinner…mainly because I have night watch duty tonight," Marik explained once again, when they were making their way toward the city.

"Sure, sure," Bakura said, waving his warning away. "Let the kid enjoy his day."

Ryou, who was obviously not used to be outside palace walls, couldn't believe that no one gave his little entourage weird looks. Three hooded figures walking in broad daylight in the busy streets of Cairo attracted no special attention whatsoever, and that was a little hard for him to wrap his head around.

But the child didn't dwell on that train of thought for very long. Soon, his attention was averted toward the many vendors in the street. Tents were pitched high enough to provide shade for customers, with small tables boasting intricate wares. Sometimes they sold food, others fortunes, but for the most part, it was accessories such as jewelry and small weaponry.

Watching the child eye the many goods in the market, Bakura pointedly stopped at one particular one that had seemed to captivate the young prince.

"I want to look at some things," the snow-haired teen bluntly explained, looking at a small dagger.

From the corner of his eye, Bakura saw Ryou brighten as he slowly went over all the rare artifacts and accessories before running a hand across a particular ivory charm. Carved to match the shape of a hawk, the vendor enthusiastically said it brought good health to anyone who carried it.

Of course, Bakura didn't believe what the man had to say, but the way Ryou gazed at the charm told him the child believed it.

Marik watched Bakura study the little prince, regretting the fact that he had only brought enough money for lunch. Bakura, on the other hand, had an entire different matter in his mind.

_I won't see him again after this, _he argued mentally. _I'm leaving him after the meal…I might as well buy him something to remember me by. _But what if he didn't want to remember? A stubborn Bakura smugly smirked as he rebelliously thought, _Too bad. _

Wordlessly, Bakura dug a hand into a pocket and dug out a small bag. It clinked as he threw it on the table. He swept the charm off the table as the vendor, after looking at his payment, humbly bowed.

Little did the thief know that the charm he had bought for the prince would be treasured far more than his crown.

Ryou happily skipped ahead, wary of not straying too far from his companions. Mingling with the common mass of people sent thrills of excitement running through his veins, making him giddy with excess energy. The way Marik and Bakura bickered like an old couple, and laughed and joked with each other made the little prince really enjoy the morning.

Eventually they reached the center of the main district, where a grand temple stood. On either side of the entrance stood a thin tower with a pyramidal top. The obelisk had hieroglyphics running down all four sides, striking further awe into the little prince who carefully examined them.

As Ryou hesitantly reached out to touch one, a temple priest came down on him. Furious, the holy man shouted, "Mangy cur! Get your hands away from this sacred relic!"

Startled, Ryou quickly took a step back and nearly tripped. Bakura and Marik both caught him. Bakura started toward the priest with malicious intent clearly written on his face, but Marik hurriedly steered the child and the thief away. At a safe distance, Ryou looked at his two guardians and grinned. "I've never been talked to like that before."

Bakura stared at the child before he burst out laughing, while Marik suppressed a smile. This thief's peculiar behavior today was really starting to confuse him…first he buys the prince a gift, then he gets angry about someone insulting the child? It was all so confusing… Especially because the scene of Bakura making a outrageous comment about the little prince resembling a girl still lingered in his mind. Marik ushered them away from the temple, murmuring something about lunch.

As they continued their way to the tavern that Marik had in mind, they strode up a well-trodden street. Ryou led the way, looking this way and that, as Marik and Bakura walked side by side behind him.

Marik said something to Bakura, right before someone rammed into Bakura's left shoulder. An icy chill ran up his arm, so cold that it burned. The thief winced, grabbing his shoulder. Marik moved to assist him, not realizing that he was actually worried about the thief, but Bakura shook his head as Ryou, who had been a few steps ahead of them, turned around.

"What's the matter?" he asked, having unquestionably no idea about Bakura's collision.

"Nothing," Bakura said plainly, straightening, clearing any sign of pain in his eyes. He glared at Marik as the captain hesitated. It hurt like hell, but he wasn't going to let it ruin Ryou's possible last day with him.

Marik stared at the thief, his face blank as his mind was baffled. What was with this guy? Wasn't he just a common thief? Before Ryou grew suspicious, Marik shrugged and pointed down the street. "We're almost there. Let's hurry."

They took their afternoon meal in an open, yet covered, veranda overlooking the busy bodies that rumbled about the town square. Ryou couldn't stop watching all the people as they chatted, laughed, hollered, screamed, chased, bickered, and greeted each other. There were too many things happening that he wanted to watch. The lives of normal people were such an interesting and foreign thing to him, and he wanted to see what his brother always referred to as the 'inferior' race.

_They don't seem any lesser than us…except our clothes are more fancy, _Ryou thought, puzzled.

As he intently watched all the people from under his hood, Marik and Bakura engaged in a rather controversial conversation on government.

Ryou, in hopes of learning something that could make him useful around his home, turned away from the view and faced the thief and captain.

"-monarchy has been standing for quite some time," Marik said.

"Monarchy?" Bakura exclaimed in disbelief. "You call this a monarchy? If the Pharaoh doesn't do something soon, there's going to be rebellion."

Marik frowned, his eyes narrowing. "You are talking treason, Bakura."

Grinning, Bakura leaned back in his chair. _This guy…is so clueless. _ "Treason is for diplomats. I'm just a thief who does what he wants."

"I'm sure," Marik muttered, taking up his glass of water.

"What's a monarchy?" Ryou asked curiously. When both the pairs of eyes looked at him funny, the child looked down. "Am I supposed to know?" he shyly asked.

"It's…" Bakura paused, seeing Marik smirking. He scoffed. "You explain, Marik. I don't think I could give him a straight answer without any bias." Then the thief got up, stretching slightly. "I'm going to see what's taking them so long to bring the food out, m'kay?"

Marik nodded, and engaged into a lecture with his prince, who intently paid as much attention as he could.

Bakura leisurely made his way downstairs, entering the loud and cool clay tavern that was situated beneath the veranda where they were taking lunch. As he poked his head into the kitchen to find someone who he could complain to, short stubby black hair caught his eye.

Immediately, Bakura forgot his current objective and strode angrily toward the black-haired man who was huddled in a corner with another kitchen maid.

What felt like decades ago was in reality only a week or two. Previously, before his capture, Bakura had been sheltered by a gang of street rats and thieves for a short while, and one of the members were standing right there.

"Ari…" he growled, his hands reaching for the man's neck.

Slowly, the man said, "Yes?" as he glanced over his shoulder.

Hands loosely wrapped themselves around his neck as someone playfully choked him. The man laughed before pretending to run out of air. "Bakura! Please! Release me!" he gasped, waving his arms wildly in front of him.

The maid gave the man a happy look before scuttling off. Bakura saw the man wink at her before she left.

Bakura let go, his eyes glinting in vivacity as his friend faced him and smiled in complete relief.

"Geez, you have no idea how worried I was about you," the man called Ari started, his shoulders sagging.

"Don't even," Bakura said, shaking his head. "You were the reason I got caught and branded as a slave, you idiot."

"Are you mad about it?" Ari asked, concern heavy in his voice. "I really didn't mean for you to get caught, Bakura. Did they try to break you?"

The thief waved it off, trying not to recall any experience of being 'broken in'. _More like killed_, he thought heatedly, but he pushed that thought away. "Those papers we stole…the ones that resulted in my capture. Why did we even bother stealing those? Were they really worth risking your life for?"

Bakura was curious as to what exactly they had stolen. Ari had even gambled his life for some hieroglyphics written on papyrus. If Bakura knew Ari as well as he thought he did, then he knew for sure that the Egyptian street rat would not put his life on the line unless it was something _very _important.

"It's…needed for Yami's plan," Ari whispered, looking down. "I'm sorry, Bakura, I really didn't mean to get you caught."

"His plan, huh? To retake his territory? So the gang's still at it?"

Ari blushed. "You mustn't speak of it so carelessly," he sadly said. "Please don't mock our hard work."

"My bad," Bakura murmured, looking away. He felt a pang of guilt when he realized he really didn't care about his old life with the other thieves and street rats. Their struggle…it was just ridiculous to him now. _It's a good thing I'm leaving tonight, then. _

Ari sighed dejectedly. "I wish I had the time to sit and chat, but I have to get started. Tèa wants some kid assassinated tonight. The gang really could use your help," he added, looking hopefully at his friend.

"I didn't agree to kill anyone when I became a part of it," Bakura frankly stated.

"It's the first step," Ari whispered, enthusiasm racing through the twenty-three-year-old's voice. "We've just started, though, so it's just a measure of revenge."

"I'm not a part of it anymore," Bakura quietly said. "I'm out."

Ari couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Did they really break you to become their dog?" Ari scornfully said, suddenly a little cross. "Are you actually a slave now?"

Bakura gave a small smile, amused, as his eyes dangerously flashed. "Me, a slave?" The thief sighed, shaking his head. "Besides, I'm leaving them today. I'm leaving Cairo today."

Taken aback for a second, Ari quickly recovered. "Then does that mean we won't be expecting any help from you even-"

"Nothing." Bakura inwardly sighed.

Ari studied his friend, who he probably wouldn't consider a friend for much longer, so he switched subjects. "Well, then, it was nice seeing you, Bakura. It really was." He gave a genuine smile as he said, "I'm really glad you're okay. You have no idea. And now…"

"I know. No ties left uncut. So who is it?" Bakura asked, getting ready to leave as well. He didn't want to keep his two companions upstairs wondering about his disappearance just yet. "Who are you going to silence tonight?"

"I don't know his name. He's a guy that, er, imprisoned Tèa's lover, I think…" Ari frowned, trying to recall his assignment. "He's the one Tèa spotted about a week ago, patrolling the palace."

As Bakura was waving a farewell, he jerked to a stop. "How old is the target?" he asked, a little unsure as to why he was even asking.

"Hm…ah, I believe he's some militant officer."

"Description?"

"All I know is that he's some sort of high-up guy who's got the night shift tonight."

Bakura stared at the man before he broke out laughing. Ari was incredulous as Bakura murmured, "I can't believe this."

---  
AN: Wow, that was long. Sorry if it was two long. Think of it was two chapters in one, though, for being late. I hope to update before Monday of next week. Please leave a review! They're always really nice to see. - I'd like to know if it was a little confusing. If so, I'll try to clarify.


	10. Confusion

AN: Whoa, it made me really happy that I received so many reviews within the first day. I hope you like this chapter as much as the last, though this one is a little shorter.

Thanks to…

Mystik Genie: Yeah! Well, hopefully Bakura will eventually grow to like Marik. Hehe, having them at odds isn't as fun as them being friends. Thanks for the review!

casaragi: Really? That's great! I also hope that Marik doesn't die…argh! Bad luck! Knock on wood. Lol. Thanks for the review!

dragonlady222: Hey, I was thinking something along those lines as well! Lol. Though I hope Bakura doesn't leave Marik to die…and you're right. They would make great friends, and Ryou really needs both of them. Thanks for the review!

Shamise: Why thank you! Thanks for the review!

Carmen-Nemrac: Wow, I'm glad you like it! Lol. You have no idea how happy that makes me. I'm hoping to update the next chapter tomorrow, but that depends on the feedback. Usually, getting reviews really motivates me to work harder and faster, ya know? Thanks for the review, and I'm really happy you like it so far.

Anei Aikouka: Yeah, I thought so, too. Or something like that…Bakura probably wouldn't tolerate staying in the same place as the Pharaoh and Crown Prince, but he's…Ah, read on! Lol. I can't say anything without spoiling something possible or something plausible. Thanks for the review! 

The Vampire Prince: Even better than OS? I'm impressed…lol. I agree that Bakura should save Marik, but there's so much that intervenes with it. Hopefully, it will out turn out well, yes? Thanks for the review!

You guys are flipping awesome! Just felt like I should tell you that. Now to the story!

Chapter Nine: Confusion

Ryou was getting worried. Why wasn't Bakura back yet? He was about to hop off his chair and go look for Bakura himself when the thief coolly strode onto the veranda.

Marik, having seen the young prince get impatient, was about to give Bakura an earful but decided against it. Ryou looked so happy just to see him, and he didn't want to ruin that.

"Bakura! Why were you gone for so long? Did something happen?" Ryou asked, trying hard not to sound too interested. It didn't work, of course, but it made Marik and Bakura smile to see him try.

"There was some idiot in the way," Bakura said, grinning. "But I got my question answered. The food will be here in a few minutes."

Just as he finished answering, footsteps were heard ricocheting off of the stairwell. A giant man who was skillfully balances three plates at once brought the long awaited meal, and was met by many thanks.

---  
Later, in the Dark Streets of Cairo  
--- 

_Someone grabbed the collar of his shirt, yanking him closer. Ari felt shocked as the teen before him grinned widely, his lavender eyes dancing mischievously as he muttered, "If I catch anyone in my path tonight, I won't hesitate to kill them." _

_**He's going to stop us. **_

"not where he's supposed to be, so we have to - ARI!"

Ari lurched to a start, letting out a small yelp as someone cuffed his ear. Feeling as if he had just awakened from sleepwalking, the street rat looked around in uncertainty. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but Ari recalled the familiar alleyway in which they stood.

"J-June?" he called gently, still not really being able to see.

A teen completely decked in black, no older than eighteen, stepped out worriedly in front of the man, who also donned similar raiment. "You okay? Did you even hear me? It's almost time to go." His voice was hushed, but the determination and conviction the teen held in his expression made Ari shove out the doubt creeping up in the back of his mind. They would succeed. They had to. "We have to go through the garden because the target is not where he is supposed to be. So we've got to locate the youngest prince's room since it is most likely that he is in there."

Ari nodded, half listening. It was hard to focus when…freshly burning in his memory was that lavender…

"It's almost time," June murmured, frowning at his cohort's strange behavior. "We mustn't fail at assassinating the target."

Ari grimly nodded, mentally slapping himself for letting skepticism cloud his judgment. _I'm sorry I lied to you, Bakura, _he thought sternly.The man glanced up and down the lane before quietly pulling out a rope with a mean hook at the end._ This first step…is to win over the trust of the Romans. We must take out the captain to show them we are worthy. _

With deadly accuracy that had taken much practice, Ari successfully hooked the top of the wall and scaled it, landing softly in the Royal Garden. Moonlight bathed the flora with a mysterious aura that sent adrenaline pounding through his body. Faint thuds announced the safe arrival of his squad. Slowly, Ari unsheathed his sword as he smiled coldly._ We've started our dream, and I'm sorry that you can't be a part of it. _

---  
Ryou's Room  
---

"We'll visit the fountain next time, okay?" Marik promised, tucking the little prince in.

Ryou heaved a sigh. "I hate being a prince," he muttered, glaring at the ceiling. "It feels like being a…a…a mouse."

Marik chuckled, pulling away from the bed. He regretted having to rush back to the palace right after their lunch, but a guard had warned him during their meal together that the Pharaoh had been looking for the little prince. It had turned out all that the king wanted was to see if Ryou was alright after 'the incident with the slave'.

"Good night, my prince," the guard called, turning for the door.

As he opened it to leave, a hand heavily slammed it shut.

His eyes closed and his mouth drawn in an irritable line, Bakura growled, "I know you don't like me, and I don't like you much either. But trust me. Tonight, stay here."

Ryou, who had not heard a word from Bakura since their arrival to the palace, immediately asked, "What's wrong, Bakura?"

The thief didn't answer. He looked away at the ground, his brow furrowed. _Why am I doing this? _The entire afternoon had been a debate with himself. Should he stay, or should he leave? Should he tell Marik about the danger he was in? Should the prince know that he might lose a friend today?

He absolutely hated this place, with its façade of grandeur and majestic air. It was filled with the filthy lives of people he hated the most, and yet he was hesitating about leaving this place. That bastard king and his arrogant son were too close for comfort. _So why haven't you left yet? _That was a good question. Why hadn't he left? His strong reaction to Ari's words before seemed to make no sense to him. He didn't care about that prick soldier who probably took part in the massacre two years ago.

In frustration, Bakura rolled his hands into fists as he angrily looked up.

His eyes were met by the uneasy and bewildered gaze of the little prince. His expression seemed pained by Bakrua's silence, and he just looked…so sad.

He was having trouble leaving because of little Snow White here. His innocence, not yet tainted by the greed for power, his odd behavior as royalty, his honest and modest nature, everything about the kid defied what Bakura had lived for to kill since the death of his beloved sister.

Not that he could kill a child like him. But that brother…

It still didn't make sense! Why did he have to stay here? Why couldn't he just-_ I can't stay here. They _killed_ her. _

"Why can't I leave?" Marik demanded to know, looking closely at Bakura with narrowed eyes. Bakura slowly broke eye contact with the prince and continued to ignore Marik. "What's going on?"

When Bakura didn't answer, Marik released his hold on the door and stared at him. This guy was starting to get on his nerves, playing the mysterious know-it-all.

The Captain of the Guard shoved his arm over Bakura's throat, pinning him. "Who are you really?" Marik seethed. The thief was caught unaware, but as soon as his air supply was cut, he instantly recovered. He shoved the teen off and glared at him, holding his throat with one hand.

"It's not like that!" Bakura shouted. He let out a shaky breath, trying to regroup his scattered thoughts. More calmly, Bakura repeated, "Just stay here." And before Marik could say anything, he added fiercely, "Listen to me before I change my mind about saving your life."

There was a sharp intake of air.

Before wood knocked the captain off his feet and nearly crushed Bakura.

His shoulder screamed as his reflexes brought up a cross block to protect his face from the oncoming door as it slammed open. His entire left arm felt as if it shattered to pieces when the blow actually came.

Shadows of black darted into the room as Bakura nearly fainted from the impact to his arm.

He crumpled to the ground, cradling his shoulder as pain raced through his nervous system. He saw Marik try to get up, but someone placed a hand over his mouth and silenced him by burying a knife into his side. Bakura tried to force his body to get up, to help that idiot he could have called a friend, but the room spun out of control and the nausea was too much. There was rustling on the bed when Ryou gave a scream, but he was silenced by a slap to the face.

"Don't kill him," someone demanded. "I'm going to do that."

The voice sounded familiar to Bakura, but he couldn't place it. His head was pounding from the agony, and the fact that he was gasping for breath didn't help.

A vague silhouette appeared in front of Bakura, and yanked him out from behind the door.

"I found another one."

"He looks half dead."

"I thought I said no killing yet! …Bakura?"

It was Ari. He was the voice that Bakura had kind of recognized earlier. He would have cursed at the man, but the fire that engulfed his shoulder kept breaking his thought process.

"Leave this one alone," he heard Ari say.

"Why not-"

"Because I said so!"

There was grumbling, but no one defied his orders.

Bakura bit back a scream as Ari grabbed his shoulders. "Bakura? Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Blackness ate at the edge of his vision, but Bakura fought the urge to faint. He had to stay awake…because…

The cold command from the scared little prince jerked the thief away from falling.

"Don't touch him!"

---  
AN: So what'd you think? Please review! If the response is strong enough, I'll put the next chapter up by tomorrow (at the latest, midnight of tomorrow) to thank you for the wonderful feedback.


	11. Decision

AN: Oh my gosh, it took soooo long to get this chapter up. Please enjoy! This one took a whole lot of work. I hope it turned out okay…

Thanks to…

gecko-grl-2: I think this one will…reveal some more things for you. Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: I worked hard on that! Yay, I'm glad someone noticed. Thanks for the review!

dragonlady222: Ryou is such a sweet little boy, but he can be quite firm in whatever it is he believes. Ah, the perfect prince! Lol. I also hope that Marik will be helped soon, and that Bakura doesn't suffer too much. That stupid metal plate…thanks for the review!

Carmen-Nemrac: lol. Bouncing off the walls, huh? I do that a lot, too, when I'm really happy. I'm glad you liked the bolded words so much. It took a while to think of it. I'm quite happy you loved it so much! Thanks for the review!

Anei Aikouka: The thieves are trying to kill Marik, but they were informed that he wasn't patrolling the palace like he was supposed to. So, they decided to break into the room that he was most likely to be in: Ryou's room. Ari, huh? He's an interesting fellow. I hope this chapter will clear some things up. He's just really confused right now. Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked Bakura's reactions.

Anime WarriorSkye: Hehe, I feel quite special indeed. Thanks for the review! (If I put up my email address on my author page, will you be able to email the picture to me?)

Chapter Ten: Decision

Ari paused, his hands still resting on his former friend's shoulders. Even though he no longer considered this white-haired, half-albino a street brother, he was still quite attached to the thief. Hearing a little royal brat telling him not to touch Bakura sent him in a rage.

"What do you know about him?" Ari hissed, turning on his heel and rushing at Ryou. The child squeaked as Ari gripped his throat. "He hates your kind, filth like you. After all, you were the ones that took Kaiya away." The man's eyes flashed as his clasp tightened, resentment evident in his face. "You killed his sister. I bet he would be happy…if I made you disappear."

Ari saw the child's eyes widen in fear, but he didn't scream. Tears ran freely down the young one's cheeks, yet it only made Ari nearly crush the boy's windpipe.

A sudden thud made Ari immediately release his hold on the child and spin around, his sword pulled out and ready.

Standing tall and baring his teeth stood the Captain of the Guard. One hand held his bleeding side as his other brandished a short sword. Panting heavily, Marik forced himself into a fighting stance.

"Get your hands off the prince!" With a bellicose shout, Marik drove his weapon straight for the opponent.

There was a clash as metal scraped against metal. Barely blocking the oncoming attacks, Ari screamed for someone to kill him. No one could get close enough, without facing the risk of getting diced to pieces, as Marik's seemingly flawless swordplay continued to drive Ari into a corner.

As soon as the attention had been averted from him, Ryou had crawled out of bed and slid next to the dazed Bakura. A tall masked assassin had spotted him, and was coming straight at the little prince with a long knife in hand.

Desperate, Ryou groped around for any dropped weaponry, but found none. Terror and panic seized his mind and he burst out crying, his shaking hands probing the ground for anything.

There was a surprised gasp and Ryou instantly looked up. Writhing on the ground was the assassin that had nearly sent Ryou off to the realm of the dead. There was no knife in his hand.

Trembling, but on his feet, was Bakura. Clenched tightly in his hands was the silver blade.

The thief stood there, swaying for a moment, as if waking from a dream. With a snarl, some other person came running straight for Bakura.

He probably would have been stabbed. By the way he was barely staying on his feet, there was no question about it; he was in no condition to fight.

Which was why Ari had wedged himself between Bakura and the fine, thin blade of his ally.

A deadly silence hung in the room as all fighting came to a stop.

"What are you doing?" the attacker hissed.

Ari didn't know. Fumbling for words, Ari stuttered, "B-Bakura…he's…he's with us."

Marik, who had been holding his sword at one man's throat, nearly dropped his weapon. He slowly turned to Bakura, disbelief clearly written all over his face.

Ryou really wished he had heard wrong, or that he was going deaf. The child's hands fell to his sides, his entire body motionless.

There was a low growl as Bakura said, with much difficulty, "Who said?"

Ari steeled himself against June's glower as he looked Bakura straight in the eye. "We aren't alone anymore, Bakura," he murmured, dead serious. "Do you remember our village two years ago? How those disgraceful bastards of the Pharaoh butchered our people? How we so wanted revenge, to undo the injustice that surrounds Egypt herself?"

Bakura couldn't think straight. He tried to force down all the pain plaguing his body, but it wasn't happening. He slowed his breathing, trying to remember, as tiny bits of energy flowed back to him.

There was a small nod from Bakura.

"We can do it now, Bakura," Ari said, his voice slightly cracking. He smiled, crying silently. "The Romans, they're on our side now," he whispered. "We're going to overtake the Pharaoh, we'll kill him, we'll avenge your sister and my father. We'll save others from the same fate as ours."

Bakura opened his mouth, then closed it. Ryou, who was standing behind him, was in complete shock. His father…had ordered an attack…to kill people? His father had actually…Ryou slammed his eyes shut, feeling like his heart was caught in his throat.

"Kill the captain with us, Bakura," Ari convinced, "Look at the big picture. All those victims, their families and friends, we're going to fight. We're going to kill those who preyed on our villages. Stay with us…to witness the new age to come."

Another silence.

Bakura's shoulders were hunched, his head down. Ari, thinking that he was confused, reached out to pat his arm.

Before he even got close, Bakura did something to make him stop.

He made eye contact with him, only to find the thief's eyes full of sadness.

"Do you honestly believe that?" Bakura softly asked, almost mournfully. Ari was too startled to say anything. "Ari…would your father be happy knowing that you plan to kill in his name?"

The street rat stepped back, shaking his head. "No…no." He looked at Bakura with almost pleading eyes. "That's not true."

When all Bakura did was stare at him, Ari lost his temper.

"Are you just going to let them go for killing Kaiya?" he demanded to know. "Are you-"

Bakura shook his head, unshed tears glistening in his lavender eyes. "Kaiya is gone," he whispered in a trembling tone. Swallowing hard, he explained, "No amount of bloodshed will bring her back."

"Then stop the bloodshed with me!" Ari begged. "Kill the gluttonous royalty, the cause of all the deaths! Don't let people suffer for the idiocy of kings!"

At Ari's words, Bakura could also feel a strong desire for revenge and the need to kill those who had ruined his entire life. Bakura was silent for a moment, his eyes focused on the knife in his hands. He could feel Ryou's anxious eyes on his back, and he glanced up, meeting Marik's distrustful yet hopeful expression. He blinked, staring at the captain for only a second more before turning away.

He came to a decision. _Damn my lack of commonsense. _Bakura took a deep breath, fighting down the agony that ate at the back of his mind. _So much for running away. _Somewhere inside of him, a voice was sneering, _Oh, please, like you didn't know._

Bakura turned around with the dagger held loosely, knowing quite well that everyone was watching his every move. Yet he felt so calm, knowing that they were in a room of assassins about to tear Marik and Ryou, and perhaps him as well, to shreds. Shoving this thought out, he knelt next to Ryou, who had the look of a lost child.

"I didn't know…" Ryou hiccupped, trying hard not to cry. The anguish and regret in his chocolate eyes hit Bakura pretty hard. "I didn't know father had killed-"

The thief placed a finger over Ryou's lips, hushing him. Then he lifted the prince's chin, examining his throat.

Lightly running a finger over the handprint that seemed to swallow the child's small esophagus, Bakura murmured, "Does it hurt?"

Ryou's eyes grew wide as Bakura grinned and pulled him close with his right arm, using his body as a shield, as his left threw the blade with excellent accuracy. Over the thief's shoulder, the little prince could see Marik's fluid movements as he sprang into an attack.

Ari was caught off guard as one of his men went down, a silver knife digging deep into his leg. The single action of his trusted friend crushed his hopes so firmly he had to scream.

A man, June, slapped him, yelling at him to pull his act together. Ari spun around, one of his many scrambled thoughts reminding him of the captain. _I have to kill him! _was the only thought running through his mind. He couldn't fail. He had to prove Bakura wrong. Choosing the side of nobility was not going to save his skin. _That bastard…only thinking about his own life. He doesn't care about what they did to his sister! What a monster! _

He spotted the captain, and blindly swung at him.

Marik blocked the attack with ease, and kicked Ari away. It was getting hard to fight, especially with the knife buried in his side. The thought of safeguarding Ryou had been enough to keep him going, but now, it was getting hard to see.

There were shouts at the door as the Palace Guards came streaming in.

June grabbed Ari, yelling for a retreat, and dragged his half-crazed companion out onto the patio and into the darkness. Mayhem and reckless violence ensued as the guards subdued any assassins that couldn't get away in time. Some of the soldiers caught Marik as he tumbled for the ground, entirely spent.

Bakura released his hold on Ryou, turning away as he clutched his burning left shoulder. His hand barely made it before the blackness took him.

AN: Hey, I updated before midnight! Man, I'm sorry if this chapter isn't the greatest. I worked hard on it, but it seems my efforts were doing nothing. I edited like crazy, and rewrote almost the entire second half. (sighs) I hope it was…satisfactory, at the least. Please review! (This story is no where near ending, by the way). I'm hoping to have the next chapter up by either Thursday or Friday.


	12. Being Alone

AN: Okay, so I tried to update sooner but the Document Setting thingy was down…and it wouldn't take my chapter! I was kind of irritated… but it's all good. I eventually got it up (if you ever read this, that is).

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: Yeah, me too! I hope that everything turns out okay. Thanks for the review!

Anei Aikouka: I'm glad that cleared up, and I'm glad you liked the way Bakura made his decision! I hope you like the next chapter…it's…more to wrap up some loose strands, and sort of set the stage for 12. Thanks for the review!

Anime WarriorSkye: lol. Okay, cool. Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: I understand where you're coming from. It is a bit sad, seeing him so…vengeful? Well, thanks for the review!

Carmen-Nemrac: I'm good, thanks for asking! I'm glad you left a review, no matter when. I'm really happy that you enjoyed it! I hope you'll like this one, too. Thanks for the review!

Chapter Eleven: Being Alone

For the first time in his life, Ryou was invisible. People, soldiers and medics, ran through his room without even seeing him. Shouts, commands, and orders were given as the child shank deeper into the shadows. No one bowed to him, no one acknowledged him. If someone did meet his eyes, they gave him a dead stare before hurrying about their task. So many people were concerned over the well-being of the Captain. Ryou wanted, so badly, to ask how he was, to ask if he was okay, to ask if he could help.

The only thing that prevented him from doing this was the presence of the Pharaoh. He knew if he interacted with the 'common' people, his father would be infuriated. Watching him now as he stood tall in the room with a cold glare at anyone who came within a few feet of him, Ryou was ashamed of the fact that this heartless man was his father.

As young as he was, the prince knew that most of the soldiers and all of the slaves knew the cruelty of the Pharaoh. Most of them had followed their deceased parents steps, or had lost many friends and family to that golden self-proclaimed god that stood there. Ryou knew that no one cared for that man. He had tried to care, to love this callous man as his father. He had lied to himself, he had pushed himself to please this man, he had done everything in his power.

Not once had the Pharaoh displayed any emotions portraying love to the child. Not once had the Pharaoh held the child like a father should have. Not once had the Pharaoh told his son how proud he was of him.

What hurt Ryou the most was knowing that no one loved his father. He even pitied him. No one would care if the Pharaoh were to disappear.

With hollow eyes, Ryou watched Marik as he was carried out. Bakura was kept in his room and left untouched, being that he was the little prince's slave.

Ryou stumbled over to Bakura, remembering the thief was hurt as well. However, Bakura was too big to move by himself, so Ryou turned to ask a slave for help.

No one remained in his room.

Slowly, a small hand curled itself into a fist as chocolate eyes fought tears.

_Would anyone care if I were to disappear? _

---  
Ryou's Room, a few hours later…  
--- 

When he woke up, it was the first time in a while that his arm was _not _burning as if acid was eating away at it. However, bruises and soreness in other locations of his body compensated for the fire's absence.

Bakura would have let a groan out, but he fought it down grimly as he recalled the break in. He tried to sit up, but it was a slow struggle, like he was scaling a great hill. He had to know if Ryou and Marik were okay.

Again, he was in a comfy bed, the bed of the little prince.

A light snoring caught his attention. On his right side, a chair pulled close, sat the little prince. His head was resting on the bed, propped up by his arms. The way his back arched forward told Bakura that Ryou had been sitting next to him for quite some time.

The thief couldn't help but smile a little at the sight of the boy. Then he craned his neck back and stared at the ceiling, his arms spread out behind him, trying to collect his thoughts.

He couldn't just leave now, not after he had seen that spark of…_something _in the little prince's eyes.

The scene replayed in his mind, him stroking the child's bruised neck with actual concern while asking him if he was alright. Those chocolate eyes had held a stunned, and sort of…happy?

"Argh…" Bakura roughly scratched his head, baffled. Why the heck was all this happening to him? And now of all times? Just when his life, before being caught as a slave, was going considerably well?

_As if, _a thought threw back. _You want to live in that little dingy hole that Ari and the gang had to offer? You want to steal from who people tell you to, and when? _

"Bakura?"

The drowsy voice made Bakura lurch forward. The thief scowled, turning his gaze to Ryou.

"What?" he gruffly asked.

Ryou blinked twice. It kind of irked Bakura how a flicker of pain ran through the child's eyes at his single word. By now, the kid should be used to his demeanor, right?

The child let out a sigh, stretching a little. "How are you?" he asked somewhat hazily, still fighting off sleep.

"How's Marik?"

Ryou looked down at his lap, his shoulders sinking so suddenly that Bakura nearly regretted his careless question. "He's…He'll live."

Mutely, Bakura nodded. Then he couldn't help but ask, "Where is he now?"

"Infirmary wing," the child murmured sadly. "I want to see him, but they won't let me."

"Why don't you make them let you see him?"

This time, Bakura not only regretted his question, but wanted to ram his head through a brick wall, due to the prince's reaction.

Ryou was crying.

Feeling a little awkward, Bakura tried to ignore the fact that the prince was breaking down. He was quiet as he heard the sniffling of the child, who was trying really hard to bite back the tears.

It wasn't very long before Bakura glanced over at the hunched form of the prince again, and slowly placed a hand on the child's head.

The prince had his eyes closed, and it was obvious that he was trying to stop the crying. Bakura swallowed hard, and did something that he never would have done two weeks ago. He reached over to Ryou and hauled the child onto the bed.

"What's wrong, Ryou?" he asked softly, hesitant as he placed his arms somewhat protectively around the boy's shoulders.

There was no response for a while as the prince cried into Bakura's shirt, being unconsciously careful to avoid Bakura's left shoulder.

"I…it's my fault that Marik's hurt, isn't it?" It was more like a statement than a question, the way Ryou said it. "And the reason your arm hurts all the time, that my fault to, huh? You hate me, don't you? I bet if I died, no one would come to see my funeral."

Bakura tore the child away from him, glaring at him. "What is wrong with you?" Bakura muttered, feeling as if a hand had just crushed his chest. "Why are you so depressed? This stupid metal plate on my shoulder isn't even close to being your fault! And if you have to blame someone for Marik getting stabbed, it's my fault. I should have done something about it, since I knew it was going to happen. And I don't hate you, why would I hate you?! What have you done to make me hate you? And why the heck would you die?"

At the end of his rant, Bakura realized his grip on the child's arms was kind of getting hard, so he immediately let go. He looked away, shaking his head, not believing what the child had said, and mostly, incredulous of his reaction to what was said.

Ryou was sniffling now, sitting on his knees while holding one arm with the other. Knowing he sounded like a child, but not understanding why he was wrong, Ryou reasoned, "I don't want to be alone…like father…"

Bakura was about to throw another fit, but he shoved out the roaring typhoon in his mind and said, through clenched teeth, "I'm right here, aren't I? Marik _will_ be here, won't he? Honestly, who else do you need?" Bakura asked, exasperated.

Ryou let out a small laugh, wiping away his tears and feeling much better. He hiccupped a few times before reaching a calm state, in reach exhaustion ran over him like a great wave.

Strong arms tucked him into bed, and a hand stayed in his to reassure him that someone was there. The little prince started to doze off when he remembered something.

"Bakura?"

"If it's more about how pitiful you feel, I don't want to hear it. You know, and I know, that it's not true."

"No, it's not that. Kura…thank you…for staying."

---  
AN: Ah, I had to wrap up the loose emotional filaments. Couldn't have them floating around forever. I think I did pretty well…please review! I hope to have the next chapter up by…hm, well, it was originally going to be Monday, but I don't have time to revise and edit, so let's say…Wednesday? Tuesday if it goes well, though. I'll try hard. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	13. Attending Class

AN: Okay, so I tried to make this chapter a little longer than normal because I'm going to be gone for about a week. (Meaning I won't be able to update for a week). I'll try to update as soon as I get back, when I can, so until then, please be patient. Thanks so much for reading PT!

Thanks to…

Carmen-Nemrac: lol. That's very true. I guess it's because…Bakura seems to be more of a control freak-like person than Ryou, who seems to have no problem playing another role besides the leader one, ya know? And thanks, I will have a good day!  Thanks for the review!

dragonlady222: Bakura will hopefully stay for good, and Ryou will also hopefully see that he is well-loved by (almost) all. Thanks for the review!

Anei: I'm sorry for hurting him so much! But he's got a bigger role in this story than the others, yeah? (Except for maybe OS). I'm glad that I'm doing something right about my characters. That's always nice to hear. Thanks for the review!

Anime WarriorSkye: Hehe, coolio. Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: Why thank you! I'm glad you found it to your liking. Thanks for the review!

Chapter Twelve: Attending Class

Knives and forks clattered together as breakfast was taken in the dining hall. Ryou, feeling very vulnerable and unsure, gripped his silverware so tight that his knuckles were turning white. It had been a while since he had had to eat with these uptight, old fogeys. As always, their conversations were filled with chatter that meant nothing to the prince.

"-heard of the resistance in the outside villages?"

"-keeps a tight hand on those peasants, but I dare say…"

"Now that's a lie! Romans, here in Egypt?"

"-of the Guard is down, did you know?"

At the mention of Marik, Ryou nearly dropped his fork. He quickly covered his blunder, remembering his brother's warning at how vital royalty etiquette at the table is. When he glanced up, he saw his father's piercing gaze had caught his little mishap.

"Ryou, are you well?" asked the smooth voice the child knew too well.

"Yes, father. Quite well, in fact," Ryou answered, trying to keep a composed face. He struggled to do so, since nearly all eyes at the grand table turned toward him.

The Pharaoh studied his son's face before he reached for his goblet of wine. "Then I want you to stop spending so much time with that slave and start focusing on your studies."

"Yes, father," Ryou murmured, looking down at his half-eaten plate. He felt heat rise to his cheeks and he bit his tongue to keep down the torrent of retorts he wanted to throw back. _Don't call Bakura a slave, you…_

Since when had he grown so rebellious?

Before he could make any mistakes he would _really _regret, Ryou asked to be excused.

"Your history instructor awaits you at the library," was the curt discharge the little prince received.

Bowing, Ryou glumly started his way back to his room. History, first thing in the morning? This wasn't starting out as a very good day. First they reject him _again _from the infirmary wing, to see Marik. Then breakfast is all messed up, and now-

When he entered his room, the first thing Ryou noticed was the form sitting in the chair, in front of the fireplace. Ryou was a little shocked at seeing Bakura so deep in thought that he would have stayed where he was had the thief not turned around and frowned.

"What are you doing back from breakfast already?" the thief asked hurriedly, concealing his embarrassment at being walked in during a time like this. "Is something wrong?"

Ryou heaved a sigh as he trudged across his room and knelt in front of the small, squat bookcase. Pulling out some papyrus scrolls, the prince miserably explained, "Father wants me to resume my tutoring."

Tucking the scrolls under an arm and grabbing a leather pouch from the lowest bookshelf, Ryou disdainfully got to his feet. "I don't want to go," he complained as he reached for the door.

Bakura got it for him, and somewhat hesitantly asked, "Want me to go with you?"

Before Ryou could say anything, the thief had shoved the prince out of the room, closed the door behind them, and taken ahold of the scrolls.

Ryou, in a state of astonishment, stood still for a moment before he laughed at Bakura's antics as he led the way to the library, secretly happy about Bakura's company. The history lesson was so dreary, so dull, so soporific...having Bakura there would be a great relief.

The library was like a temple. It didn't have walls that surrounded it, but rather pillars of marble that bordered its sides. The smell of dust, papyrus, and musty old men was almost so overbearing that Ryou nearly wrinkled his nose. Knowing he would be scolded for such an action if his private tutor saw him, Ryou tried to keep a straight face as they ventured further and further in the labyrinth of rank tomes.

"My prince!"

Ryou perked his ears at the voice, looking for his instructor. Bakura, curious, also looked about. He found the man first.

There, standing next to a table, stood a frail short man who was old enough to be Bakura's great grandfather. Bakura nearly gapped when Ryou started walking toward the wizened man with twig legs, but kept his face blank, after a horrendous battle of emotions.

"Master Nobi, it's been a while," Ryou politely declared, offering the hand without his pouch of utensils.

The old man revealed a mouth full of gaps as he shook hands with the prince. He offered the prince a seat and took a step back, rubbing his hands together as he smacked his lips, thinking.

Master Nobi froze as Bakura took a stand behind Ryou, handing the prince his papyrus scrolls. A slave?

"Slave, move aside," Master Nobi wheezed, waving the white-haired teen away. He didn't want such a 'low-class creature' to obtain any knowledge he had to dish out. "No one should be disrupting the precious moments in which the Prince better learns himself in the history of his ancestors."

Bakura was seriously considering talking down at the man. However, his better judgment told him to stay quiet and ignore him, otherwise he would just be brewing trouble for Ryou.

Master Nobi was about to use those lungs that were covered in dust from not being used often when Ryou threw his hands up, looking shy.

"Master Nobi, Bakura will stay here," he said kindly, yet with force.

The instructor, knowing better than to go against such a gently put demand, gave Bakura a curious glance before clearing his throat. He changed his mode of focus as his back straightened and he suddenly gained the upright posture of a teacher. "Yes, yes…let us start with the roots of your fathers, my prince."

--- 

It was _so _boring. Bakura was nearly dozing off, standing on his feet, listening to this wrinkled man just drone on and on and on. How could Ryou sit there and take this for…how long has it been? Two hours? Three?

Right when he was about to start growling in frustration, Master Nobi clasped his hands and announced, "My prince, you have made great progress today, for missing so many sessions in the past week. Let us stop here for now, and resume again two days hence."

Thanking Ra for this small stroke of good fortune, Bakura swept up Ryou's school tools and shook his head.

"I don't see how you sat through all that," the thief murmured as they exited the library.

Ryou gave a small smile. "It's…actually kind of interesting."

Rolling his eyes, Bakura had to grin. "Riiight…weirdo."

When they reached a fork in the path, Ryou swerved to the left. Bakura nearly dropped the papers he held as he doubled back to catch the child.

"Where are you-"

"I have another class in the practice field, near the barracks," Ryou said, glancing over his shoulder to see a confused Bakura.

"Another one?" Bakura asked, exasperated.

Ryou nodded, picking up the pace. "It's my favorite one, though." Quietly, he added, "Marik usually teaches it, so I think there will be a substitute today."

Shouts and clanging was heard not too soon after Ryou's words. Visibly, the boy brightened a little and his pace sped up again. Bakura was about to complain, but he couldn't help but feel a little happy when the child was so excited.

The outdoor path they took led them past barracks that were too familiar to Bakura. Choosing to ignore them, the thief followed the prince to the center, where a large cleared area awaited them.

Standing in the midst of all the sparring was a tall, white man. Hard gray eyes calmly viewed all the fighting, until they fell on the little prince and the thief.

"My prince, you are late," came a slow voice, a slight trace of a European accent laced into it.

Ryou, who couldn't believe his luck at having Alec for this session, quickly replied, "Master Nobi, the history instructor, kept me a little longer than expected."

"Let us start."

The little prince was caught totally unaware by the blank remark, and nearly dropped the wooden sword that was tossed at him. Pain shot up his right arm as wood struck fast and hard.

Letting out a small cry, Ryou immediately stumbled back and took on a fighting stance, holding his wooden sword with two hands.

"The blow could have been deflected with a simple right block," Alec barked, flourishing his own wooden weapon. "Again!"

He dove at the little prince, this time going for the child's left arm. Again, Ryou was too slow to bring up a block in time.

To Bakura, the personal bodyguard of the Pharaoh was moving quite slowly, despite the fact that Ryou was struggling with meeting the man's tempo. The thief itched to push the man into the speed that he had seen when they first met, yet he didn't budge since Bakura knew that Ryou would be disappointed if he took time from the child's favorite 'class'.

Yelping as Alec struck his fingers, Ryou's grip on the sword slacked and the weapon fell to the ground.

Alec stared at it before he barked, "Again."

Ryou, not used to actually being hit so hard, almost wanted to stop. No one had ever actually tried to strike him, and he knew that Alec wasn't hitting that hard but…it hurt.

_Quit being a wimp, _the prince scolded himself, standing up. He tried to strengthen his will as he took a deep breath. He gave a small nod to Alec, to tell that he was ready.

They sparred like this for a while, and slowly, Ryou started to get a few blocks in, here and there. The desire for a good fight was starting to eat away at Bakura as he watched, but the thief continuously shoved it away. He would get in a little practice later now, since his fingers were just itching to hold and throw a blade.

The next drill that Alec presented almost made Bakura frown.

"Maverick! Carlos! Quin! Stand around us." Alec made them stand around the little prince in a triangle before he stepped away and explained, "This next exercise is a three versus one scenario. The little prince is to fight three men first. Then, slowly, I will start to add more." Alec crossed his arms over his chest as Ryou stared at him, his eyes wide. "Any of the soldiers that go easy on the prince will suffer the consequences. This drill is here to provide practice for the prince. It will be more beneficial if the prince gets a good experience of what it is like to fight multiple enemies."

Bakura stepped forward to say something, but Alec beat him to it. "Keep your silence, slave."

Lavender eyes flashed in anger as Bakura glared at the European. Ryou cleared his throat and announced quite loudly, "I'm ready." He gave Bakura a look that said please-behave before he swallowed hard and faced his opponents.

"Begin."

Ryou landed one hit successfully, right on the soldier named Carlos's shoulder. It was hard enough to make the man fall to his knees. Then everything that happened next, happened too fast.

He saw it coming, but he was too slow to dodge it. The sweeping middle cut hit the prince full force in the stomach, sending him flying backwards. Ryou landed with a thud, and the breath was knocked straight out of him. The prince winced, reaching for his side. Ryou never got that far, because as soon as he saw the lower downswing coming, he rolled out of the way just in time.

Someone kicked him from behind, and the prince pitched face forward. He fell to his hands and knees before another person caught his side with an uppercut. The prince rolled with it before making it to his feet, dizzy. He didn't last up for very long because someone drove their wooden sword right into his side, sending him sideways and onto the ground.

Ryou was on the verge of crying, from the pain and from the helplessness. He didn't know when, but he had dropped his sword a while back. His ribs were hissing and his mind was screaming. He wanted this to stop, he wanted to tell Alec to make it all stop. But he knew he couldn't; looking like a coward in front of all these soldiers was not an option.

There was an incoherent shout as Ryou turned around, trying to face his opponents. Maverick, with his face crumpled into a ferocious war cry, dove right at the prince with his sword high above his head.

His feet tried to run backwards, but all they did was trip over themselves. Ryou fell backwards and threw up his arms in hopes of warding off the blow.

There was a _thunk_ as wood hit wood. Ryou, who had unconsciously closed his eyes, opened them, to find a great looming shadow over him.

"It may be good experience," the low growl murmured, loud enough for everyone to hear. "But this fight, this so-called 'scenario'…this is plain bullying."

Ryou clenched his fists as he inwardly thanked Bakura. Alec steadily leveled his gaze at the thief, as if daring him to go on. Bakura did so with pleasure.

"And no one…no one bullies _my_ prince."

Bakura grinned at Maverick, his humor too thin for comfort.

---  
AN: Well, I'm very sorry if it sounded rushed. Please review! I hope you liked this chapter…


	14. Teach Me

AN: Wow, I've got to say, Orlando is absolutely beautiful, even this early in the spring time (though it's not _that _early anymore). Well, I'm back and here with the next chapter of PT. Enjoy!

Thanks to…

gecko-grl-2: I'm sorry for the wait. Hope you like the next chapter, and thanks for the review!

redconvoy: Yeah! Go Bakura! Lol. I think you may like…an aspect of this chapter a lot. Hehehe, thanks for the review!

dragonlady222: Bakura is, isn't he? And Marik? Hm, I wonder when he'll come back indeed…Thanks for the review!

casaragi: Did you like that line? Lol. I had to debate whether or not to end on that particular line, or add more. I'm glad you liked it, that really makes me happy. And I'm glad you reviewed as well! Thanks!

HanChan: Really? That's a relief. I'm glad I'm not rushing. I'm sorry this chapter is a little late. I just landed back home a day ago, and I tried to finish the editing last night…eh, it didn't work. I'll try to get the next chapter up really soon. Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: Your favorite one, huh? Lol. I'm glad you liked it, but I think you're going to like this one more. (Though this one doesn't have as much humor as the last, so I'm not too confident). Thanks for the review!

Chapter Thirteen: Teach Me

Bakura didn't waste any time. His sword, which he had been swinging around seemingly carelessly, attacked with no warning. Maverick was caught unawares, his guard completely down. Smirking, Bakura matched Alec's stone cold gaze with his own as he slammed the wooden sword down on the soldier's shoulder, on a nerve that sent that man crumpling.

The other two soldiers, whoever they were, rushed in like a bunch of idiots as Bakura calmly swatted them to the ground as if they were flies. "Stupid," Bakura muttered, his lavender eyes glinting. "Didn't your teacher tell you not to rush at an enemy blindly?"

He saw Alec's jaw tightened. As the slow soldiers caught onto the insult, they surged forward with revenge intent in their rigid forms when the white Royal Bodyguard raised a hand to stop them.

"I defeated you last time with ease, and it should be even easier this time," Alec said, giving a small, icy smile that never reached his eyes. Then, in a single and fluid motion, Alec tucked his foot under a wooden katana and kicked it into the air.

As soon as he caught it, Bakura dove at him as he yelled, "Don't get cocky!"

It started with a high block by Alec, who then pressed for the offensive by spinning around with a swift cut for the thief's midsection. Ryou saw Bakura jump right over it, like a tumbler, and roll back to his feet. The last thing that the child prince could see was Alec plunging at Bakura, who thwarted it with ease. Beyond that, Ryou couldn't tell what was happening; they were moving too fast.

Watching Bakura and Alec's fight made Ryou realize how pathetic he must have looked. _I have to get better at fighting, _he thought with determination. His resolve just strengthened as the two fought a battle so eloquently with such skills that even the soldiers that surrounded them were in awe.

_Where did he learn to fight like that? _

Bakura could tell that the white man was growing tired, as well as frustrated. _Hee, I bet he's wondering why I'm almost kicking his ass, _Bakura thought with satisfaction. _I just misjudged your skills last time, foreigner. Who would have thought a white man could be so fast and strong? _

The thief was close to winning, and Alec knew it. _I cannot lose, _the bodyguard ranted to himself, growing annoyed. He tried to calm himself, knowing that letting emotions run rampant in his body would allow Bakura a clean and wide opening.

Alec pressed forward with two uppercuts followed by a side-swept swing, and finished with a right cut.

It came to his attention that Bakura had blocked the last attack by a greater margin than needed. _Is something wrong with his left side…? _

Alec tried again, waiting patiently for his next opening. He was running out of time. Exhaustion from the heat (which he was not accustomed to, unlike the Egyptian thief) and from the long fight was taxing even his reserves of energy.

Another uppercut, followed by a combo of a right, left, right cut.

Again, Bakura left a great margin for error in his defense when it came to his left side, only this time, he was really protective of the shoulder. Alec made his decision, knowing he would only get this one chance to attack before he would burn out. He feigned a dive to the right, then spun around and brought his sword down on Bakura's left shoulder.

Alec stumbled forward, spent, but not before he saw Bakura fall to his knees, gasping. He smirked, breathing heavily, and turned to try to stand.

Ryou jerked forward, crying out as he saw the sword bite into the thief. However, he hadn't even taken five steps when Bakura, livid, chucked his sword at the back of Alec's head.

The bodyguard was out cold by the time Bakura staggered to his feet. He clutched his left shoulder, feeling as if someone had tore it out and handed it back to him.

Ryou ran to him, his face dead serious. "Bakura, are you okay?"

The thief stalked right past him, reached back to grab the prince with his right hand, and started for the Palace. The crowd of silent soldiers immediately opening a path for them while Bakura irately muttered, "Stupid idiotic arrogant piece of-"

"Bakura, teach me."

The quiet request sent Bakura to a screeching stop. He glanced down at Ryou to find the child looking at the ground. "I…I want to fight like you."

Bakura was about to say no in a rather rude fashion when a chuckled ruined the moment.

Standing in their path, with his arms crossed over his chest, stood the Crown Prince.

Nyq continued to laugh, shaking his head. Ryou blushed as he grit his teeth. _What is he laughing about? _

"You're asking a _slave _to teach you how to fight?" Nyq scorned. "How pathetic can you get?"

"This so-called slave can kick your ass any day," Bakura fired back, glaring daggers at the despised figure before them.

Nyq clenched his fists, which Ryou had seen trembling. "I…I was never referring to you, slave." Nyq cleared his throat as he straightened himself. Then, smiling sweetly, he said, "Ryou, dear brother…if you'd like, I can teach you how to fight."

Ryou opened his mouth to refuse, when he realized that Bakura hadn't said yes yet. Guilt flooded the child, but he really wanted to learn how to wield a weapon. He didn't want Bakura, or Mairk, getting hurt, every time it was _him _that needed protecting.

"C-can…W-will you?" the child meekly asked. Bakura stiffened beside him as Ryou shamefully looked away. "You were going to say no, anyways," the little prince softly accused the teen.

Bakura knew it was true, and bit his tongue to stop a sharp retort. _He'll learn about his mistake, _the thief fumed. But he couldn't help but ask, "Are you really going to take lessons from him?"

When Ryou nodded, still not looking at him, Bakura felt a black wave of hatred swell over his mind. He fought back a glare at the child as he calmly walked away from the brothers, his mind screaming in rage.

Ryou watched the thief go, almost feeling like he was about to cry. _But I have to do this, if I want to learn how to protect Bakura and Marik. _

Before he could even consider changing his mind, his brother put an arm around his shoulders and said, "When do you want to start? Is today fine? Or tomorrow?"

"Today," was the immediate answer.

Nyq grinned, fighting the urge to laugh. What a trusting idiot. "Alright, but don't regret it," Nyq said, steering the little prince away from the training grounds and the Palace. "This is intense training we're talking about. You suck at swords, so it's going to take until dinner each day. Okay?"

Ryou swallowed hard, feeling a little anxious. He pursed his lips in determination and gave a firm nod.

---

Bakura was storming down the hall, and didn't even realize that he had walked past Marik until the Captain had grabbed his arm.

In his anger, the thief tried to flip the person who had dared to touch him, when he found himself lying on his back, the breath knocked out of him.

There was a low whistle as Marik said, "I never thought I would be able to do that to you."

Bakura blinked twice before he understood what Marik meant. With a snarl, he jumped to his feet and growled, "Don't bother me!"

He was about to resume his fiery trek of anyone-who-wants-to-die-is-welcome-here when he was yanked back again.

"What the hell do you want with me?" he nearly screamed, tugging his arm away from the Captain.

Marik slapped him.

Bakura looked incredulous for a moment.

"What is _wrong _with you?" Marik hissed, frowning at the thief. "And where's Ryou?"

Marik saw a vein bulge from Bakura's head as the teen took a deep breath. It took a lot of effort not to shout for Bakura as he gently said, "Ryou is out taking sword-lessons with his dirtbag brother." Then he forced a smile and said, "How are you?"

With a sigh, Marik ran a hand through his light hazel hair. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

The Captain's hand stopped halfway through his tan mane when he saw Bakura turn bright red.

Before Marik could say anything, Bakura snapped, "Shut up."

---  
AN: Hm, I think this is where things will get a bit darker. Thanks for the reviews, and I hope you review for this chapter as well. Expect the next chapter by Tuesday at the latest (I'm hoping the next one will be up by Monday night, or Sunday night, but who knows).


	15. Beginning Of His Death

AN: I'm still deciding on some things in the plot, and this chapter here is something I ended up changing at the last minute. I hope you enjoy! (Please don't kill me over the title).

Thanks to…

casaragi: Hehe, I did, too. I guess jealousy is new to Bakura, since he's probably been able to steal most of the things he's wanted, though what he wanted was probably all tangible in the past. Thanks for the review! I don't think the ending of this chapter will really 'catch' you, though.

dragonlady222: Yeah, Ryou will definitely get some from his brother. Bakura, due to his jealousy, may stick close by, or may not. Read on to find out, lol. Thanks for the review!

Mystik Genie: You know, it's your review that made me decide to update a day sooner. Lol. I was already like, 'Maybe I will…' but when I read yours, I was like, 'Alright! I'll do it!' Thanks for the review! Though I don't think this is one of the _best _chapters I've written, because I revised the ending at the last minute…I hope you like it.

Shamise: You're welcome! Heh, your thanks seriously added fuel to my tank for updating sooner (read the above reply). Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: Hey, thanks a lot! Yeah, Bakura was shocked beyond reason when Ryou didn't refuse his brother. I'm glad I'm making some progress on character development, eheh. Thanks for the review!

Anime WarriorSkye: Marik is well on the way to recovery, though he is in no condition to fight. Lol. Yay for Bakura indeed! Thanks for the review!

Chapter Fourteen: Beginning of His Death

"Stupid! I said down block!"

_Thwack. _

Ryou winced, the wooden play-sword biting into one of his legs. Nyq ruthlessly continued his onslaught, shouting whenever he messed up a command. As punishment, he had earlier stated that if the child did not play attention to orders, then he had every right to hit him.

"Up, you hopeless idiot! Keep your sword arm up!"

_Thwack! _

There was a clatter as Ryou's weapon fell to the floor. He held his hand tightly, fighting back the urge to cry. This was too hard, he wanted to quit.

"Pick it up, Ryou," Nyq said, turning away and resuming his fighting stance. When Ryou didn't move, and just glared at him with wet chocolate eyes, Nyq scoffed. "Do you want to learn or not? Are you always going to be a wuss?"

Ryou said nothing, hurt by his brother's words. He wanted nothing more than to be able to protect the people he held close, but all this time and effort seemed worthless. He wasn't improving in the whole week he had been training, and it hurt. Not only physically, but emotionally. Why couldn't he be as good as Bakura? Or as fast as Alec? Or as determined as Marik? He wanted to get stronger, but he wasn't getting any better.

"Either quit wasting my time, or pick that thing up!" Nyq snarled. "If you want to be strong, you had better start getting use to the pain."

Without a word Ryou bent down and gingerly lifted the sword. He blinked back tears as he tentatively assumed the fighting stance his brother had taught him.

And away they went again.

At a distance, from the watchtower of the Palace overlooking the grain fields where Ryou and Nyq were sparring, stood Bakura.

Marik was next to him, leisurely leaning against the railing as Bakura continued to gaze at his little prince secretly.

"No, no, Ryou, keep your feet moving," Bakura muttered, his brow furrowed. "That's right, good low block…side step! Ugh, no, no. Ryou, you've got to-"

"BAKURA!" Marik shook the thief's shoulders, trying to avert his attention to him. "Bakura, Ryou can't hear you right now. Quit coaching him when he can't even hear you!"

There was a pause as Bakura shut his mouth, but his lavender eyes followed the two forms in the fields.

"If the fact that Ryou chose Nyq over you, which he really didn't but you like to think he did, really bothers you, then tell him!" Marik was fed up with Bakura's rants at how Nyq was the worst teacher in the history of Egypt, or how Nyq was so pathetic in his ways as a fighter that he only felt confident when he towered over someone who didn't even know how to hold a sword properly.

Bakura heaved a sigh, frustrated. He felt restless, with all this energy and jealousy (though he denied it) coursing through his system. And besides, today, his left shoulder didn't hurt as much as usual. "Maybe I'll go for a horse ride, or visit the city."

"To cool off?"

"What do you think?"

"Don't take your angers out on me, Bakura," Marik warned, slightly frowning.

Bakura clenched his fists and made a sound. "I so need something to strangle right now."

Marik gave a small laugh, already halfway to the staircase. "Find something to strangle in the city. Come on."

---  
In the Wheat Fields a Few Hours Later…  
---

Nyq let out a yawn, dropping his sword behind him. "Geez, I didn't even get a decent workout."

Ryou stared at the ground, embarrassed and utterly humiliated. "Nyq, stop," he begged, clenching his fists.

The older looked at the little prince without actually looking at him. "Do…you want to try again after dinner?" There wasn't a reply. Nyq cleared his throat, explaining, "The only way someone as bad as you is going to get better is more training. So how about we try again tonight?"

"Okay."

"But we can't do it in the wheat fields. It'll be too dark, and lighting a lamp in wheat field isn't exactly the smartest thing to do." Nyq smiled. "How about…let's try the training grounds?"

Ryou immediately shook his head. "Not there…please."

"You're picky, little brother. What about the stables?"

The younger prince didn't object.

"Then I'll see you there after dinner, Ryou."

"Okay."

The Crown Prince parted ways with him, to go to his room to change for supper. Ryou also dragged himself toward his room, hoping that Bakura wasn't in there. If he was, it would pain Ryou to face him. Bakura seemed to be mad about something, and it only made it harder for Ryou because he was having a great struggle with the physical toll on his body already.

He feebly pushed open the door, and found no one in his room. Ryou didn't question the whereabouts of his thief and Captain, for he was relieved that his failure today would not be witnessed by the very people he was trying to look after. He quickly changed into a tunic with a cape over it, so that he could just pull the cape off when Nyq and him resumed their sword lessons.

Dinner was absolutely painstakingly slow. Ryou didn't eat much, knowing that he would regret it later that night, but he couldn't help it. Just thinking about how much progress he was making made his stomach churn.

It wasn't fair! Why couldn't he be good at swords, or fighting in general? Why did he have to be so pathetic and useless? He was useless enough at home, and now even in battle? Ryou stabbed a grape on his plate, and missed.

The grating of the fork against the plate made everyone look up at him in surprise. Ryou blushed as Nyq, who had been conversing with Alec, frowned. The little prince quietly set his silverware down and excused himself. He would just go wait at the stables for his brother.

As soon as he stepped out of the dining hall, the cool night chill wrapped itself around his body. Ryou shivered, pulling his cape closer around his body as he trekked toward his destination. It was only when he got there, and was sheltered from the winds by the creaking walls, that he noticed that he had forgot his sword.

Cursing softly, the little prince heaved himself to his feet again. He would have to go back and get it, wouldn't he? As he stepped out of the stall where he had been trying to keep warm, he noticed the stables were quite empty. Most of the horses were missing and the little light provided by the many oil lamps were not enough to banish shadows from the crevasses.

Ryou looked up and down the only wooden structure in the premises of the Palace, trying to catch a glimpse of a stablehand. All he saw was stacks upon stacks of straw, even in the loft it looked like. He shrugged, and was about to return to his room to retrieve his sword when Nyq and Alec walked in.

"Oh, Nyq…and Alec." Ryou's face fell, and he averted his gaze from Alec. After Bakura had beat him, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to act in front of the white man.

Nyq sensed his brother's uncomfortable air, and quickly said, "Alec is here to help you with the training."

There was a mute nod from Ryou as he scuffed his foot against the ground. "I forgot to bring the sword," he murmured. He didn't want Alec to be here! It was hard enough to bear with his brother criticizing him. "I'm going to go get it now."

As he moved to leave the stables, Nyq extended an arm and held him back. "You won't need it tonight. This training is to toughen you up." The Crown Prince gently pushed him back. "Get ready."

The warning was not adequate, no where near. Ryou found himself staring at the ceiling as he struggled to breathe when Alec tackled him. Then, everything that goes up must come down, and down came Ryou with a thunderous crash.

Everything flashed white, then there were spots of black.

The child hacked up half of his dinner, unsteadily bracing himself on his hands and knees. Nyq was talking, probably telling him why he was doing this, but it wasn't registering to Ryou. He couldn't hear anything as his stomach felt like it had been punched out and then back into place.

"Get up," the accented voice commanded. "All you have to do is dodge my blows."

"I-I can't," Ryou whimpered, trembling. "You're too fast."

Something made contact with his stomach. He slid back, on his side. That definitely left a burn.

Ryou started crying. Why was Nyq letting the white man do this to him? Wasn't he his brother? Why was his father's bodyguard hurting him? How come Nyq wasn't helping him?

_Where's Bakura? _

There was echoing as heavy footsteps drew closer to the fallen prince. Ryou shrank away, scared of being hurt, scared of being kicked. Rough hands jerked him up, shoving him against a stack of straw.

Ryou found himself staring at gray eyes. He slammed his eyes closed, his entire body tensing in anticipation of a blow.

He had guessed right. Alec drew him back and smashed him against the wall of hay.

Then there was a yelp and a scream. Ryou grunted as he fell to the ground. When he came to his senses, he realized why Alec had suddenly released him.

The shards of a shattered oil lamp were scattered to the right of him. His mind trying to think through mud, Ryou's eyes followed the short trail of flame directly to the haystacks behind him.

He blinked.

"Ryou!"

The little prince, as if in a dream, turned to face the person who called to him. It was his brother, who stood on the other side of the fire.

_Who stood on the other side…_

Ryou lurched to his feet, panic-stricken, and whirled around in a complete circle. The fire had blazed its way across the stacks of straw and set fire to most of the ones on the first floor, sending some of them toppling. And blocking his escape.

Ryou fell to his knees, his mind numb, as he came to comprehend that he was trapped. Trapped in the burning stables of the oldest structures of the Palace, with no way of getting out.

---  
AN: At the last minute, I redid the entire ending of the chapter. I hope it didn't turn out too bad…please review! I think the next chapter will be up by Friday night.


	16. Interlude

AN: Whew, the past few days have been crazy. I missed quite a few days of school for Orlando two weeks ago, and I had to make up so much work! Anyways, I was really happy about the number of reviews I received. Thanks so much, and please read on. (And read the note at the bottom.)

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: I'm not sure if Nyq meant for the fire to happen. After all, it did result from Alec's presence, more like. Then again, Nyq has mental problems about how much he hates his brother. Stupid jerk…You're right. Evil is a good adjective for him. Thanks for the review!

casaragi: lol, I love your reason. Hopefully, Marik and Bakura will arrive on time. Thanks for the review!

Mystik Genie: Let's hope so. Poor Ryou…all he wanted to do was get stronger to protect others. Thanks for the review! 

Shamise: Hehe, I know what you mean. As an writer though, it's hard for me not to have cliffhangers. I need a good place to…hm, mark my stop? Lol, I'm not so sure anymore. Thanks for the review!

ONIX-21: Oops, I guess I didn't really update soon, but the next chapter will be up a lot sooner. (Read my note at the end). Thanks for the review, and I love the fact that you like it so far!

Carmen-Nemrac: Oh, that's fine. I get really busy sometimes, too. And I know what you mean about Ryou! The poor kid only wants to get stronger to help people, but he's struggling with getting stronger…Let's hope he gets strong soon, huh? Thanks for the review!

Anime WarriorSkye: Hehe, really? That's much a relief to hear. I'm glad you approve so far.  Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: I worked hard on the editing. I'm glad you liked it! And someone earlier mentioned cliffhangers. Lol. I guess as a reader, that's not an easy thing to cope with, huh? I'll try to update soon whenever I leave a cliffie. Thanks for the review!

evilraven013: Yeah, poor Ryou indeed. Let's hope he doesn't die…Thanks for the review!

Chapter Fifteen: Interlude

Gasping for breath, Marik leaned against the dark wall of a pub as he glared at Bakura, who was sitting next to him with his head against the same wall.

"When I said 'Find something to strangle in the city', I didn't mean it, idiot!" Marik snapped, gripping his side-ache as he fought to catch his breath.

Bakura grinned, also huffing, and waved away Marik's glower. "Those guys needed a thrashing anyway," the thief wheezed, referring to the thugs they had just disposed of. "They just happened to be in my way at the right time. If it bugs you, think of it this way: I did my first good deed of the day right there."

"_Right,_" Marik said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Hey, we'd better head back soon. I have nightshift tonight."

The snow-haired teen groaned, pushing himself to his feet. "Why do you always have to be a Samaritan all the time, huh? Volunteering to do some other poor sod's work?"

"Why are you so lazy?" Marik countered, slowly starting toward the Palace. "Does it really pain you that much to help someone?"

"Yes," came the quick reply. "It's extra work and a waste of my time."

"Liar," Marik murmured under his breath.

Bakura stopped in his tracks. "What?"

Marik pushed past him and said, "Nothing." But Marik knew that Bakura had heard him. _Always in the denial, that guy…What are we going to do with you, Bakura? _

"Ah…Can't we stop for a drink, Marik?"

"Keep moving, Bakura!" hissed the Captain. "You're going to make me late."

Bakura coughed, showing that he didn't really care. Nevertheless, he picked up his pace. He hadn't taken more than fifteen steps when Marik cussed for the first time in Bakura's knowledge. He was about to ask what was wrong, when Marik took off sprinting.

"Hey, where are you…" his voice trailed off, his hand still extended toward Marik. Bakura felt a chill run down his spine as his eyes met the blazing stables ahead.

Flames spurted out of every window and every crack, like greedy fingers trying to grab anything of value. There was hollering and screaming, but Bakura heard nothing as he slowly stumbled closer and closer to the stables. Marik was there, right in front, directing people with tubs of water with an air of authority and a cool demeanor. The thief couldn't be anything yet stare at the great crimson and scarlet squall, standing motionless in front of the dying building.

"Over there! Put out that fire on that side first!" Marik shouted, heaving a bucket of water himself. Fiercely, he tossed its contents onto the flame and handed the empty tub to someone when he saw the thief just standing there. "Bakura, get some water!"

Bakura didn't move. At all.

Marik frowned, quickly making his way over to the thief. He grabbed Bakura's right shoulder, shaking him slightly. "Hey, what's wrong? Bakura? Bakura!"

Nothing could call the snow-haired teen back. The lavender eyes were lost in the blaze before them, mesmerized by what Marik saw as fear.

This wasn't good. Not at a time like this.

Marik cursed again, turning around and yelling some more commands. "Is there anyone in there?" he shouted, trying to make himself heard above the ruckus that surrounded them.

One man, a solider, shook his head, saying, "There hasn't been a stablehand in there since supper, sir."

Marik nodded, his mind racing. They had to put out the fire now, before the wind picked up for the night. It was already starting to get gusty, and he couldn't risk any fire spreading to the main city, where most of the poorer populace lived. They didn't have marble and quartz like the Egyptian royalty.

"Someone get some more people to help," Marik ordered, pointing at the barracks. "We need-"

The rest of his command was never heard, as a scream tore the air.

"My brother!" someone sobbed. "My brother is in there!"

Marik immediately looked to the person, and nearly lost his balance. Nyq stood a few meters past Bakura, on his knees with his hands in his hair. "My brother!" he continued to scream. "My brother!"

What the hell was going on? How the hell did Ryou end up in the middle of _that _thing? Marik shoved these questions aside and tried to evaluate the situation. He had to stay calm at times like this.

Smoke was already clogging the very air they were breathing, and the building was creaking underneath the crackling of fire. The entrance was completely sealed with flames, and the only way to get in would be hopping through a window. He was surprised the glass was still intact, but he shoved this thought away. The inside looked as if most of the first floor was burning, and…_There was no way…_Marik bit his lip, wincing. _Shit, there's got to be a way!_

Another scream interrupted his thoughts as a woman fell backwards, Bakura growling. Marik couldn't believe what he was seeing as he hurried toward the two.

The thief was turning to leave as soon as Marik stepped up to him. "What did you just do?" Marik demanded to know.

"Get out of my way," Bakura stoically murmured. He pushed right past the surprised soldier and stalked up to the stables. It took a while for it to register, but Marik finally caught on to what the thief was about to do.

"Bakura, don't!" he shouted, in hopes of trying to stop the thief in time. "We'll find another way, you'll kill yourself if you – Bakura!"

There was a shatter of glass as the thief crashed through the window of the burning building.

"Bakura!" Marik felt his lungs being crushed as the thought of losing both Ryou and the troublesome friend. He was about to run after the thief when a hand grabbed his wrist.

"You're insane, that stupid slave isn't worth it!" Nyq shouted, yanking the Captain of the Guard back. "My brother is dead," the Crown Prince mourned. "Oh, my god, what do I do? Father is going to kill me!"

Marik pulled his arm free and shoved Nyq away. The prince looked scared as Marik glowered at him. "_Father is going to kill me? _Is that all you can say? That should be you running in there!" Marik hollered. "What kind of a prince are you? What kind of a brother are you? If that were you inside, Ryou would've run in there and tried to save you! You coward, all you can do is stand here and scream! That's your brother in there, possibly dead! And what are you doing about it? You've done nothing, and you've been here from the start! Move, you imbecile! Get some water or something, and make yourself useful!"

"Captain!"

Marik clenched his fists and restrained himself from punching the lights out of stunned Nyq before him.He watched the prince trip over himself, trying to make himself helpful, as he asked in a strained voice, "What is it?"

It was the woman that Bakura had pushed down earlier. "Sir, that man..."

Marik was slow to respond, still struggling with the possibility of losing…He cleared his throat. "Who, Bakura?"

"Yes, him! He took my shawl. I think he'll be fine."

Marik raised an eyebrow as the eager brown-haired and dark-eyed female nodded. _Is this woman in her right mind? _"Because of your shawl?"

"No, sir," the woman earnestly said. "Because it is wet."

Marik blinked. How the hell did Bakura know about dealing with fire?

---

AN: Well! I hope that this was a good chapter. I worked hard on this one…I'm glad about the number of reviews I received. Because I got so many, I'm going to try to update sooner for you guys. So…expect the next chapter by maybe tomorrow night or Sunday afternoon? Thanks for the reviews, and please review again!


	17. End of His Pain

AN: Oh dear, I'm not sure if you guys will like this chapter or not…I worked hard on it, because I wasn't sure if it was good enough. Erk, please review…

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: I completely agree with you, about Nyq. Ryou's father, the Pharaoh, does have issues. He's so blind to Ryou, probably because he's much younger and childish (in his eyes) than the Crown Prince. Thanks for the review!

Mystik Genie: lol. Yeah, go Bakura! Thanks for the review!

casaragi: Hehe, a cookie for you! I hope you had fun at your party, and thanks for the review!

FlyingShadow666: I hope they're okay, too. Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: You're so right about Nyq. I wonder if he even feels bad about it. Thanks for the review!

gecko-grl-2: No problem. Thanks for the review!

Chapter Sixteen: End of His Pain

_**Scarlet. Everything was scarlet. **_

"_Bakura, go back!" _

_**The soil, the sky. **_

"_Hold on, Kaiya, I'm coming!" _

_**The doors, the walls.**_

"_No, stay out!" _

_**The fire, the blood. **_

"_Kaiya!" _

There was a thunderous crash as a beam fell right before him, sending him sprawling backwards. He let out a shout, scared and surprised. Memories seared his mind's eye as the last image of his sister disappeared, the image of her trying to shield herself as the building crashed down on her.

Bakura didn't know why, but he was shivering. _Isn't that ironic? _He pulled himself together and struggled against the thin air and smoke.

He thought he was walking down the middle of the stables, since there were stalls on either side. He looked frantically, unable to scream or yell a name because he was terrified.

It was hard to breathe, it was hard to see. His eyes were watering with the effort of trying to keep them open, and his throat was burning as he fought to respire.

He could feel his hand shake from the wet cloth it held. He wasn't using it, because he knew that Ryou would need it more.

The crackling and roaring of the fire deafened his ears. Screams could be heard, especially her voice. They were sobbing, begging him to save them. Bakura stumbled, falling on his knees. He let out a small cry, and quickly caught himself. He could still hear them, screaming his name as they burned.

Bakura pressed his hands against his ears, crying. He lost sight of what he was doing here. Why had he jumped through that damn window? He didn't want to be here, not in the midst of his worst nightmare.

He fought to stand, to run back outside, and immediately fell backwards. He angrily stood up again, and found himself glaring at an ivory hawk charm.

Bakura was still for a moment, his mind numb. _What was I going to do? Run away? Leave him here? To die? _He slowly bent down and picked it up. _It won't be the same as before. I'm going to find him. I…have to. _

---

Ryou felt like his throat was being crushed. He cried silently, not having the energy to make any noise. His eyes stung, they felt so dry, but he couldn't blink. His entire body was frozen, he couldn't move.

He was on his side, up on the loft, and scared. Was he going to die? Was anyone coming to save him? Would anyone remember him? Did anyone know he was in the stables as it burned?

_Will anyone come to my funeral? _

Ryou felt his entire body restrict. He coughed, and realized that that was probably his last intake of air. His lungs were being crushed, his body unfeeling. Already he couldn't move his legs. He was dying.

"_**And why the heck would you die? I'm right here, aren't I?" **_

_Liar… _

It was all a lie, wasn't it? In the end, he was going to leave anyways, wasn't he? He wasn't going to stay._**Why would he, for a brat like you?**__**For someone's father who had killed his entire village?**_Ryou tried to swallow, he needed to get some air. _**He probably only stayed with you for the food and lodging. Did he ever really care for you? Did you ever really help you?**_

_Bakura looked at him when Nyq offered him lessons. Ryou looked away, and accused, "You were going to say no anyway…" _

_**He wasn't going to waste his time with you. He wasn't going to stay with you and be your 'friend'. Look at what you did to him! You ruined his life! **_

He stopped trying, it wasn't worth the pain. His throat screamed every time he tried to open his mouth. His chest felt like it tore open when he tried to breathe through his nose.

Ryou knew he was being unfair, but he really had believed the snow-haired thief. _Bakura… you liar…_

_**It's your fault for falling for it. Why would anyone care about a useless, powerless prince like you? **_

As his mind let out a final shriek as he felt the feeling leave his arms and torso, Ryou clenched his teeth.

_I…I…_

_**Worthless. **_

_I trusted you, Bakura. _

He felt the tension lift away, and tried to close his eyes.

_I trusted you. _

His body gave up, and his heart stopped for a moment.

Until the chocolate eyes saw the hand atop the ladder.

He couldn't believe it. He was stunned as a soot-streaked Bakura hauled himself into the loft, and crawled over to him. He was saying something, yelling and shouting to be heard, but Ryou could say nothing.

The little prince wanted to say sorry, to voice his relief, to cry and be held. Yet his body wouldn't move, and his eyelids were growing heavy.

Bakura shook the child, panicking as Ryou didn't respond. The building was groaning, on the verge of collapsing. They had to get out. Bakura would have just grabbed the child and ran out of there as fast as he could, but Ryou…

Cursing himself for his stupidity, Bakura took the drenched shawl he held and draped it over the child's mouth. "Don't die, you idiot!" he screamed, gathering the fallen body as quickly as he could.

The fire was spreading faster than he had anticipated. They had to get moving, or they would meet the same fate as Kaiya.

Ryou gasped, feeling droplets of water splash down his throat. It was as if the water were acid, because it burned the whole way down. He wanted to shout in alarm, but then realized that the water had opened an airway.

He struggled to breathe as fast as he could, hungrily trying to get air. Half the time, he got smoke.

As Bakura was shakily going down the ladder with one arm around the child and one on the ladder, he nearly fell off as another beam crashed down right beside them.

The thief cursed again, too scared to move. Fire surrounded the bottom of the ladder, and it was slowly eating its way up to them. He couldn't go down anymore, he had to either jump off or go back up.

He tried to force his legs to jump, but they didn't budge. Screaming from his village victims still tore through the air, rattling his mentality. Coughing could be heard from Ryou as he fought to breathe.

_We're going to die. _

Bakura held onto the ladder tightly, crying. The entire time in the stables, his sister had followed him. Her face was half burnt, her eyes desperate. She was burning to death, calling for him, begging for him to help her.

"I can't…" he whispered shamefully, fighting back tears as he closed his eyes in an attempt to ward off the ghost. "I can't…"

Another beam crashed down, followed in rapid succession by several more. The building let out a moan as it creaked and the fire cackled.

_I have to…save Ryou. _Bakura swallowed hard, finding it hard to think. His eyes were bloodshot from all the smoke, and his mind was demanding more air.

_I have to move…_Bakura forced himself to open his eyes and look down. He tried his best to ignore his sister, who was groping at him, as he took a step down.

The rung snapped and he felt himself fall. He let out a grunt as he landed on his back, feeling dreadfully dead. But it still hurt, meaning he was still alive. His crash sent embers flying everywhere, probably saving his life because it had smothered most of the small flames waiting for him there.

He clambered to his feet and frantically looked for Ryou. The child was a few feet away on his knees, the wet cloth pressed against his face as he trembled.

Bakura took a step forward and met the little prince's eyes. They were horrified. Bakura moved to his side, and tried to pull him up.

Then he saw what Ryou had seen.

The entire front of the stables was up in flames, the door and windows completely impossible to reach.

Bakura stared at it, knowing that only five yards of fire separated them from the outside world. There was a creak above, and he glanced up only to see the entire rafter in flames.

There was a resounding and sickening thud behind them as another piece of timber fell from the ceiling. Bakura swept up Ryou and dove to the side. The second plank barely missed them by mere inches.

The thief wasted no time. He looked around for anything they could use as a temporary shield against the fire. He found nothing, not even a cloak, before his eyes fell on a small cape.

Bakura picked it up, and used it to cover as much of Ryou and himself as he could. He tried to shield Ryou with his body as he paced toward the double barn doors. If he could dive against that thing fast and hard enough, it should open upon impact.

_Let's just hope that no one is stupid enough to be near it to be crushed by the doors. _

Bakura allowed himself a small intake of air before he would start running. In the corner of his eye, the thief saw Kaiya weeping on the floor.

It felt as if someone stabbed him as he clenched his teeth and ran straight for their escape. Leaving behind his sister again would have killed him, if the small hands of the little prince had not been holding onto him for dear life.

---  
AN: Will they make it, I wonder? Please review. Erm…I didn't mean for the chapter to be so messy-like. Was it confusing? I'm sorry if it was. This took a lot of time to revise and edit…I hope you liked it.


	18. My Gift

AN: Back again, with the next chapter!

Thanks to…

FlyingShadow666: Sorry it took so long to update. I try to update every three days or so, but it's kind of hard sometimes, you know?  Thanks for the review! I'm glad to hear that you're looking forward to the next chapter.

dragonlady222: Ryou as Pharaoh, huh? He'll have to knock Nyq off first. You can do it, Ryou! But first…go Bakura! Lol. Thanks for the review!

casaragi: Hands casaragi a glass of milk to go with her cookie Too cute and too sexy to die? Lol. As weird as it sounds, I think those are pretty good reasons. Thanks for the review!

Shamise: That's great to hear! Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: Yeah, talk about a trailing ghost…anyways! Thanks for the review! I'll see you in about twelve hours, for the plane to Peru. 

Chapter Seventeen: My Gift

Marik was starting to get really worried. It took a lot of effort to keep his cool, especially when the building continuously groaned like it was doing now. He had a staff of medical practitioners at hand, including the Head Priest Seto Kaiba. However, the seconds that crawled meticulously by were starting to take their toll on his patience and sanity.

Rocking on his feet, standing a few feet from the Captain of the Guard, was the Crown Prince. His eyes were on the fire as he bit his nails in nervousness. The Pharaoh himself was standing at a distance behind Marik, his expression stern and slightly anxious.

Marik looked to both of the members of the Royal Family before staring back at the fire. For the first time in a long time, he murmured a prayer to Ra.

Screams erupted as the double doors of the building nearly exploded off of their hinges. Marik threw his arms up in an attempt to shield himself.

Amid the flare of crimson sparks and shards of burnt wood. That was when he saw the snow hair.

Without wasting a second, the Captain ran forward, calling to the little prince and the thief. Already, Bakura was on his knees, with Ryou cradled in his arms, but he didn't make it past that stage. As soon as Marik took Ryou from him, Bakura collapsed.

Ryou cried out in surprise as he weakly reached for his thief.

"Keep a good grip on him," came the strict voice of Kaiba, as he bent over Bakura and hauled him up to a sitting position. He quickly examined the burns and gave the teen a little room to breathe. "I want fresh water and bandages, with salve and clothes to be ready in five minutes."

From the wheezing form that the priest held as a low growl of, "Check the kid."

Grudgingly, Seto Kaiba let his assistants take away his patient as he turned to the little prince. As he had predicted, the child only suffered from the smoke since Bakura had covered most of the little prince before pulling off his dangerous stunt.

"He needs fresh air, water, and a cool cloth. Keep him hydrated, and if he says his eyes sting, drop some of the cleansing liquid in them." The High Priest gave Marik a firm nod before turning away to attend his other patient.

Marik, with Ryou in his arms, turned to leave as well because as soon as he tended Ryou's wounds, the sooner his mind would be at ease. However, he hadn't taken more than five steps when the stables of Ancient Egypt gave way.

---  
A few days later…  
--- 

Ryou, who had been confined in his room for the past few days, was ready to go. The coughing fit he had fallen into very soon after his episode with the stables seemed to have lifted, and he couldn't wait to see Bakura. Marik was waiting for him at the door, making sure to check if Ryou was really feeling alright.

"I'm fine!" Ryou said, exasperated. He knew that Bakura had been worse off then him, and it irked him that there was so much more fuss over him than the thief. "Marik, let's go!"

The Captain sighed, not really sure if Bakura would be happy with Ryou seeing him. He didn't have a say in the matter, because Ryou bolted past him and down the hall.

Mentally slamming his head against a wall, Marik sluggishly pursued.

The little prince raced down the hallways of the Palace as he clenched his fists and fought down the spray of emotions. For the last couple of days, he had tried really hard to act happy and normal in front of Marik. Truthfully, he wasn't feeling really happy at all. _I took those lessons from Nyq to get stronger and to protect people. _The child's jaw tightened as he continued to run toward the Infirmary Wing. _Was it Nyq's fault for not teaching me right, or my fault for not being able to wield a sword properly? _Ryou shook his head. _I can't blame others for my weakness. It was obviously my fault. _

_I won't be able to forgive myself if Bakura is in a lot of pain again. I…I wanted to get stronger to protect him, but if all I ended up doing was hurt him…_

He slammed the doors open, and immediately regretted his actions. The glares he received from all the attendants were enough to dissolve any self-esteem and confidence he had left.

Quietly, and somewhat scared of what he might find, Ryou stepped into the Infirmary Wing and started looking for snow-colored hair.

Each bed was surrounded by visitors or nurses, all except the one in the back with curtains drawn up around it. Ryou swept over all the other beds briefly and made a beeline for that covered bed.

He yanked the curtains back and what he saw nearly made him fall backwards.

The center of the shielded area was occupied by a neatly ordered, clean, unused bed.

Ryou stepped back in dismay, frowning at the sight. "What?"

"What are you doing, my prince?" a woman's voice snapped. She marched over to him and pulled the curtains back into place. "You can't just burst in here and-"

"Where is he?" Ryou demanded, looking directly at the nurse. Taken aback, the nurse stuttered for a moment before she was at a complete loss for words. "Where did the guy in this bed go, miss?"

"Quit picking on lady, Ryou."

The child blinked at the familiar lilting tone, before he gave a small smile. "Bakura," he said, turning around to face the thief. "I…I-"

Ryou never got to finish his sentence, because at that moment, something was chucked right at him.

Letting out a surprised cry, the child put up one arm to defend himself against whatever was thrown, and used the other to blindly knock whatever was coming at him away.

Instead, the item that was thrown at him caught on his arm. "Eh?" Ryou gently untangled himself as he examined the finely crafted bow in his hand.

When he looked at Bakura with inquiring eyes, the thief grinned back at him. Leaning casually against the doorframe, his entire upper body with the exception of his left arm bandaged, the teen explained, "Learning the sword would be useless to you, Ryou. Marik would never let you get close enough to slash at anything. So, I'll teach you how to wield a bow instead."

Ryou was speechless for a moment as his gaze fell back to the weapon in his hands.

"And since I'm _so _generous, I'll help you learn how to ride a horse." Bakura's grin grew wider as Ryou's face brightened with joy. "With my help, you should be able to shoot that thing," he said, referring to the bow, "in no time with deadly accuracy. Don't you think?"

The little prince lowered his head as he fought back tears. This wasn't the reaction that Bakura was going for. The thief moved forward, kneeling before his prince. "Ryou? What's wrong?" he murmured, evidently troubled by the child's behavior.

Ryou continued to cry as he wrapped his arms around the thief. "I nearly got you killed again, and yet you're still here. While you've given me so much, Bakura, I haven't got anything to offer. What am I supposed to do?"

Bakura never would admit that he was touched by the child's words. Hiding a blush, he returned the embrace, and lifted the child up. "Just do your best. That's all I ask."

---  
AN: It's a little shorter than usual, but then again, this is about how long my chapters usually are. Um…look for an update on Sunday afternoon or night. I'll be gone again this Thursday, Friday and Saturday for a trip, so I apologize ahead of time (going to Peru!). Please review, and thanks for reading!


	19. Stirring

AN: Holy cow, can't say I didn't get sunburned from my trip to Peru! It was sooo fun, yet so tiring. On the first day, I was dying from the flight. And when I came back, I got really lazy about everything (not a good thing). That would include updating PT, and I'm really sorry for not getting on top of things. Here's the next chapter!

Thanks to…

casaragi: Wow, you must really not like Nyq. Lol. A pure 'accident' to end the Crown Prince's life, huh? Spooky, if you think about it. Could Ryou really take a life? Thanks for the review!

Shamise: No problem, and thank you! It was really really cool. I even got to visit a desert! (I nearly died of heat, but I didn't stay long enough to experience the nighttime weather). Thanks for the review! 

FlyingShadow666: I was hoping to update sooner, but I fell behind. Sorry. I had a great time in Peru. I think the most fascinating part for me was the desert. Oh, my god! Lol. It was pretty sweet. Thanks for the review!

dragonlady222: Hey, I think so, too! Ryou with a bow sounds much more exciting than him with a sword, because then Bakura and Marik _and _Ryou would have swords, you know? (Well, Bakura's got knives, really). Thanks for the review!

Anei Aikouka: I don't think the healers could keep Bakura in bed But I agree wholeheartedly with you. I'm glad you liked the chapters, and I hope you enjoy this next one. Thanks for the review, and I hope you had fun camping!

Chapter Eighteen: Stirring

There was the sound of a solid thud as Bakura hopped off of the fencepost he had been sitting on. Glancing up at the sky, the thief noted the fast-approaching sunset. It was time to finish. He crossed the open yard in no time with his wide strides, closing the distance between him and the prince.

"Ryou, I think it's about time we head back in," he said, ruffling the child's hair. "It's late enough as it is. A little longer, and the sun will disappear as will your vision."

Ryou regretfully nodded, taking off the arrow he had just notched on his beloved bow. He was still getting used to firing the weapon, but already his aim and speed were improving. Just recently, he had been able to string and unstring the bow alone, as he was doing now.

The teen watched him, feeling a little pride and accomplishment. In a short period of time, Ryou had learned the basics of archery much faster than he had the basics of swordplay. Watching the child butt heads with the challenge of bettering himself further each day made him realize just how badly Ryou had yearned for the power to protect.

Carefully placing the waxed string into his pouch, Ryou slung his bow over his shoulder and asked Bakura, "Does Marik have night watch again?"

Bakura nodded, leading the way back inside. Their footsteps echoed freely in the empty hallway as night continued to fall.

"He gets off sometime in the early morning," Bakura went on, stretching as he walked. He was cautious of his left arm, since it still pained him sometimes if he taxed it too far. "We can wait for him before we leave, but he said that he would probably be too tired to go."

Ryou bit his lip, thinking. "And you? Do you still want to go?"

"If you're having second thoughts, we don't have to."

"That's not the question, Bakura," Ryou stated, pausing in front of their destination. "Do you want to go?"

Bakura gave the child a mischievous smile. "What do you think?"

Shaking his head, Ryou entered his room as he called behind him, "You can never give a straight answer." Bending down in front of a chest located at the foot of his bed, the little prince gently stowed away his bow and arrows. Then he stood up and grabbed his cloak.

_I guess we're going, _Bakura thought, picking up his own cloak.

For the last few weeks, once every seven days, Bakura and Marik made an effort to provide Ryou every chance to visit Cairo. Of course, it was always at night, and never before a big day. They took care to make sure no one knew of the little prince's midnight excursions, and to ensure Ryou's identify be kept secret throughout the entire trip. Despite the simplicity of it all, the two teens were struggling with keeping it a secret.

It was also getting to be a thing that Bakura really looked forward to.

"-kura…Whiteylocks!"

Bakura jolted to attention, looking for the person calling his name. Already standing at the balcony, ready to leave, was Ryou.

"You don't respond to your own name, but to Whiteylocks?" Ryou asked, scrunching his nose as he giggled.

Bakura growled playfully, treading softly onto the balcony. "You've got white hair, too, smart one."

Before the child could make a comeback, Bakura pulled him close and jumped.

Ryou gasped, surprised at first before he felt the exhilaration of flying as Bakura leapt for the tree next to his room. When they landed safely, Bakura released him and they both scaled down the somewhat withered tree until they reached the ground. From there, it was flat out ducking and sprinting until they reached the Palace Gardens.

_If father saw me now…_Ryou thought, referring to sneaking out to see Cairo. It had been a while since Ryou had had a crash in with his father. The reason for why he had always struggled with understanding his father hadn't occurred to him until the dreadful fire incident.

He was always trying to appease someone who obviously didn't give a damn.

The Pharaoh was as cold to his sons as he was to the rest of his royal court. Only in public did he try to act like an actual parent. When Ryou had come to this conclusion, the initial emotion was anger. What kind of father was that pathetic sod who sat on the throne of Egypt? His desire to be a good parent only sparked when it looked great for his image in front of the people. Otherwise, there seemed to be no connection between Ryou and the Pharaoh of Egypt.

Then the thought of 'dying alone' had hit the child. Without friends or family, which the Pharaoh had none of, who would be with the man if he were dying? Compared to all other deaths, dying alone seemed to be the worst. In fact, that was Ryou's greatest fear.

A shiver ran down the child's spine. He didn't want to think about it, especially not on a special night like this.

"Ryou, hurry up!" Bakura whispered, standing with his hands together to boost the prince over the gated gardens.

_I can't live my life trying to please father forever, _the little prince thought, slowly moving toward the thief. _ For now, I think I…I should try to live the way _I _want._

The little prince dashed right up to Bakura, solidly placing a foot on Bakura's handhold.

For the split second during which Bakura could see Ryou, he saw a small smile of satisfaction before he launched the child up and over the gate.

---  
On the outskirts of Cairo  
---

"Listen, _Roman_¸" a voice hissed with spite. "We do things _my _way."

"I don't agree with this…plan of attack," a thickly accented man earnestly argued. "It's taking everything too far, for such a small palace guard."

"Sure, if you only looked at the personal bodyguards of the Pharaoh. But they have the barracks of the Egyptian _army_ established and based around the Palace, foreigner! Against their force of fifty hundred, what do we have?" The speaker shoved his face closer to the Roman soldier's. "Fifty. We have fifty men, not all properly suited for a fight."

"We can use a special unit to annihilate the Pharaoh, Ari," the foreigner insisted. "We do not have to blindly rush in and launch a surprise attack that will surely end in failure."

There was a ripple of murmurs that obviously agreed. Ari fought down a wave of anger as he was reminded of the fact that over half his meager forces were Romans. The only thing that made him bear the humiliation of allying himself with the main enemy of Egypt was the thought of smugly achieving his revenge as Bakura watched on in envy.

"Fine, a special unit…only of seven men."

"Five."

Ari gritted his teeth, his patience almost at an end. "Five then…but we attack tonight. You and I included. You pick two members, I'll pick one."

Turning away to find his most trusted companion, Juno, Ari narrowed his eyes and balled his hands into fists as he thought, _Bakura, I will do what you have failed to do. _

---

AN: Sorry about it being so late! I'll try to update by Sunday night (as in, I'll do it no matter what). Thanks for the reviews, and thanks for the great support!


	20. The Perfect Opening

AN: I am here, on Sunday night, with the next chapter of PT! I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks to…

casaragi: Uh oh…Wait till you read this chapter. Lol. Thanks for the review!

Shamise: No problem! Thanks for the review!

FlyingShadow666: Thank you very much! I'll try to update sooner than Thursday (the chapter after this one). Thanks for the review!

Anei Aikouka: lol. Right off the bat, 'I hope Nyq gets killed'. No mercy to the Crown Prince, at all! XD I think that the bow fits better, too! A sword seems too violent for Ryou. I'm still suffering from my sunburn, just a little. I have a tan line from wearing flipflops on my feet! They look funny! Lol. Thanks for the review!

dragonlady222: I hope Ari doesn't succeed, either! Ryou seems like a much happier kid than before. I hope it stays that way. Thanks for the review!

Faithstreak: Really? Thanks a bunch! Hee, that just made my day. Thanks for the review!

Chapter Nineteen: The Perfect Opening

There was a festival that night in Cairo. And Bakura had been completely unaware of it until it was too late.

Men, women, and children filled the narrow and open streets of Cairo, with soldiers positioned at every corner. Bakura frowned, wondering as to why so many guards were present at a place and time like this.

There was laughing and shouting that filled the warm night air, with lamps casting an equal amount of light and shadow. Everyone greeted everyone, everyone smiled, everyone grumbled, everyone laughed. There was a cheery atmosphere that clogged the thief's senses. Ryou was stunned by the people's change in behavior, and at the same time, fascinated.

In the middle of the town square, there was a dance. In the firelight, women of all ages twirled about with drunken and sober men chasing after them. The smell of sweets filled the nighttime breeze, tempting anyone who bothered to stand still for even a second.

Bakura kept losing sight of Ryou, which was really starting to scare him. How easily that little darkly cloaked figure could get lost in the ever-moving waves of people that surrounded them. Each time he made sure he had a good hold on the boy's shoulder, someone managed to shake it loose.

Ryou wasn't aware of Bakura's predicament. He was too engulfed with trying to decide what he wanted to do when he realized that Bakura was no where to be found.

"Bakura?" he called, but his voice was nothing compared to the thundering of all the townsfolk as they continued to laugh and play. He wasn't exactly scared, but he wasn't entirely comfortable, either.

Somebody grabbed Ryou's arm, pulling him into the middle of the square. All of a sudden, the dull music he heard was blasting in his ears. "Hey, kid, join us!" a man yelled, obviously drunk. He shoved Ryou into the dance, and the child fumbled right in.

There was a girl, about the same age as Bakura, who was part of the dance. She grabbed his shoulder and helped him catch his balance. However, as soon as Ryou was on his feet, he almost fell again. The dance was a fast-paced one, always moving, always shifting.

"Keep your feet alive!" the girl said, shouting to be heard. She smiled at him and tried to yell the steps out to him as the people kept up with the music.

Ryou was breaking a sweat, trying to learn the basics of a dance that he had never done before.

"You're getting it!" the girl called happily, giggling and laughing. Her face was flushed, and Ryou knew she had had a little bit to drink. "Now move! Move those feet as if you're dancing with Ra!"

Biting his lower lip in concentration, Ryou slowly started getting into the beat and rhythm of it all. At one point in the dance, there was a part where everyone threw up an arm and shouted, "Hey!" Soon, Ryou's small voice was amongst them, as his laughter was mingled with the rest of the festive roar.

Bakura was not having fun at all. _Where the heck is he? _he thought frantically, scanning the crowds another time. Because he had been going against the general flow of traffic, Bakura had started to drift away from the Town Square. Sweaty and sticky from his wasted efforts, the thief cursed as he stepped off into a dark alley to catch his breath.

In the enclosed lane, there weren't as much people, for which Bakura was glad. He slumped against the wall as he tightly gripped his left shoulder.

It was starting to hurt again, mainly because he had been careless. In his frenzy to find Ryou, he had rammed it into so many different people without meaning to.

_How am I supposed to find him? _Bakura knew that the only way to find him was to go back into that bedlam. He couldn't go back to the Palace to get Marik. That would end all night excursions for Ryou, and Bakura didn't want that.

_The sooner I find him, the better. _Bakura heaved himself to his feet and dove right back into the traffic. This time around, he was more wary about his left arm than normal.

---  
Back at the Palace…  
--- 

Marik sighed, watching all the lights in Cairo with envy. Here he was, standing guard while people celebrated who knows what. He knew that most of his men were down there, either doing their duty of watching for bad behavior, or slacking off and partying. _Bakura and Ryou are probably there…_

The captain blinked. _But there are so many people at those festivals…_He was afraid of asking the question, so he tried not to think about it. _Bakura would keep away from it. He's too antisocial to be heading into that gala. _

A very soft thump caught Marik's attention. _What in the…? _

He glanced to his side, only to find his guardsman missing. Marik slowly looked down the length of the wall.

There on the ground was a crumpled body. The corpse of his fellow soldier.

"Holy shi-"

The air screamed as another arrow just clipped a few locks of his hair.

"INTRUDERS!" Marik screamed, diving onto his belly. "Sound the bell! There are intruders!"

---  
At the base of the wall  
--- 

"Sound the bell! There are intruders!"

"Crap!" Juno murmured, his eyes fierce with anger. He turned to the Roman beside him and grunted, "I can't believe you missed!"

"Shush, there's nothing we can do about it now," a cold voice said, obviously irate. It was the foreigner's commander, ready to bash in the head of his comrade. He was quiet for a moment as Ari intently glared at him. "I want you," the Roman said, pointing to his archer, "to go back and tell the main force to attack from the other side. The east wall."

The Roman soldier opened his mouth to protest, but his captain raised a hand.

"You missing the target has caused this. We will engage in battle, a full-out attack on the Palace." The foreigner, upon seeing Ari's expression of I-told-you-so, said, "There is a festival in Cairo right now. I'm willing to bet that most of the soldiers are positioned in the city to watch for any misconduct. We will attack when most of their force is absent."

Ari turned to look at the wall. "We won't move till the rest of the men are in position, right?"

It was Juno who answered. "Wrong."

"What?" The foreigner looked at him as if he were crazy. "Attack the Palace with four men?"

Juno gave a thin, cold smile. "They wouldn't expect it."

Ari shook his head. "You may be right, but that's insane."

The foreigner and Ari exchanged looks as Juno chuckled in the shadows.

"We should at least open the gates for our men, no?"

---  
Cairo  
--- 

Ryou was drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. "Let's take a break," he said to his girl companion. Tired and exhausted, the girl agreed. She took the little prince's hand and expertly weaved away from the crowd and to a small pub, still in the main square.

It was stifling inside the bar. Heat and smoke attacked them as they went in, but the girl seemed to know her way around. She got to the bar somehow, and ordered two waters.

"I've never seen you around before," the girl commented, still a little out of breath from the dancing.

Ryou chose his words carefully, remembering Marik's long drawn-out lectures on how important it was to never reveal his identity on their midnight trips.

"I don't live around these parts," the child said. The bartender brought them their drinks, which they took gladly. Ryou drank his water and welcomed the refreshing feeling of being hydrated.

"My name's Sera. What's yours?"

"Ry-Ryuza."

"Nice to meet you, Ryuza!" The girl broke out giggling again, holding out a hand. "It's funny how we've been dancing for a while now, and we didn't even know each other's names!"

"Y-Yeah," Ryou said, smiling at Sera's energy.

"So you've never been to a festival here?" Sera asked, swirling her glass of water around.

Ryou answered truthfully. "No."

"What?" Sera slammed her cup on the table, incredulous. She burst out laughing again, grabbing ahold of Ryou's hand. "Come on, then! I've got to show you what you do at a festival!"

The child didn't even get to thank the bartender for his drink. Sera pulled him out of the pub and dragged him through the crowd with ease. Her small size and his short height really made a difference in the speed at which they traveled. Ryou glanced down at his hand in hers, and felt a pang of regret when he realized that Bakura was probably looking for him.

"Um…actually, Sera, I should probably be going now," Ryou said.

"What?" Sera didn't even look back. She couldn't hear him through all the noise around them.

Ryou was about to shout his words again when they emerged into an area where suddenly, there were no people.

His words died in his throat as he curiously looked around. "Where are we?"

Sera didn't answer. She let go of his hand, and said, "I brought one!"

"Huh?" Ryou blinked, seeing no one in the small, deserted area. He looked back once, but it was too dark to make out the passage he had come from. "Sera?"

Then he saw them. Five men at least, all holding some type of weapon in his hands. Ryou backed away, grasping his situation a few seconds too late.

---  
AN: Okay, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There will be a lot of action in the next chapter (I think, unless I edit the plot again). Expect the next chapter by Thursday at the latest. Please review!


	21. Run

AN: This chapter is the 'usual' length, approximately three pages. You know, I've noticed that recently, most of my previous chapters for PT have gotten longer…Hm, I get the feeling I mentioned this before. 

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: They aren't exactly slave traders…more like, muggers who sell people to slave traders. It isn't really explained in the story…I also hope Bakura finds Ryou, and soon. Wonder what will happen to the palace…Thanks for the review! 

FlyingShadow666: Happy Birthday! (belated now, sorry) I hope you have a great year filled with lots and lots of good, er, stuff! (Memories sounded kind of corny…eheh ;;) What will happen to Ryou indeed…thanks for the review! Read on!

casaragi: lol. I don't mean to, it just all happens like that. And I think that's a great reason for them not to die! Heh, immortal Bakura, Marik, and Ryou!!! Thanks for the review!

Shamise: That's great to hear! Thanks for the review! 

Anime WarriorSkye: I'm glad you found time to read it, even though you had a lot of work to do. (And yes, I did have lots of fun in Peru, thanks!!  ) Don't you hate it when computers crash? I remember when mine crashed in the middle of one of my stories…shudders Anyways, thanks for the review!

Chapter Twenty: Run

Ryou felt fear crawl up his body as the men drew closer. Out of desperation, he tried to run through a gap between of the men.

One of them swung his wooden bar right into Ryou's stomach. The others burst out laughing and howling as Ryou crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath. He clutched his midsection as he fought tears. Ryou couldn't help feeling downright pathetic as he silently cried for Bakura or Marik to come save him.

"Don't' fight them," Sera's soft voice begged. Ryou choked back a sob as one of the men roughly pulled him to his feet by his hair.

"What's going to happen to me?" Ryou whispered as hands searched him for valuables, finding nothing.

Sera looked at him with sad eyes, hesitating for a moment. "They're probably going to turn you over to people who deal in slavery…You're going to disappear."

Ryou stared at her as her words echoed in his mind. _You're going to disappear…_

"You caught a good one," a man with an axe said, nodding as he looked over Ryou. He stood apart from the rest, as the other four forced the boy's arms behind him. "Tie him up."

Sera came forward with a rope and bound Ryou's small hands together. The entire time, she avoided the child's black eyes. "Do you want me to muffle him as well?" The man shook his head. "It's done, Jarod," she said to the axe man.

"Let's take a look at him, then." Jarod knelt down to Ryou level and grabbed the boy's chin firmly. Ryou stared back at him with terrified brown eyes. Slowly, the prince's mind started to thaw from the shock. The man snickered, saying, "Look at him tremble!"

Ryou slammed his eyes shut and tried to stop shaking, but it was no use. He felt something warm trickle down his pants as Jarod tightened his grip.

"Quit crying, kid!"

Someone slapped him repeatedly on the cheek. "Hey, you gonna be a good boy?"

Ryou wanted to say yes, to plead the man to let him go. However, no words could escape his lips because he was crying so hard.

"Answer me, boy!"

The little prince saw the fist coming, and he screamed. He ducked the punch and ran underneath the arm. There was a yelp as Jarod nearly lost his balance from missing his mark. Ryou's attackers were taken by surprise, not expecting an escape, so Ryou had taken quite a few steps until they realized that they had to catch him.

His heart pounding and his breathing spastic, Ryou tried to scream for his thief. He had difficulty speaking, choking whenever he tried to scream something. Tears streamed down his cheek as he ran blindly down an alleyway, so frightened his mind was frozen.

Stumbling and tripping, but having no hands to keep his body stable, Ryou rammed into walls often in order to keep himself upright. He could hear the men crashing after him as he ran for all he was worth.

_I'm going to die, _Ryou cried, shaking uncontrollably as he fought for air. Never before had he run so much in his life. _I'm going to disappear, and Bakura will never find me. _Ryou's heart screamed in response to his last thought. To die, with the knowledge that no one was there for you…it was too painful, and to Ryou, it was the worst way to go.

Time rippled to a stop when the prince's legs gave underneath him. He flipped head over heels, and landed right on his back. He cried out as shock seized his body. From his position, he could see the men coming for him.

In a panic, Ryou mentally shouted, _Don't make me disappear! _

The first man to reach him was Jarod. With a vicious grin, he dug his hand into the child's snow mane and yanked hard, cussing vehemently.

Ryou was shoved to the left, though not hard enough to ram into the wall. He curled up into a ball as there were shouts behind him. Someone was shrieking, and then there was grunting and growling.

It hit him as odd. Ryou, still quivering all over, rolled to his side to see what exactly was going on.

Nothing clicked. All he saw were two of the four men slumped against a wall, with Jarod and another attacker standing side by side, crouched.

Ryou, gasping for breath, wrapped his arms around his stomach in hopes of cutting back some of the pain that tortured his body. However, he nearly stopped breathing when both Jarod and his last man broke apart, leaving a familiar white-haired thief standing.

_Bakura._

The little prince wanted to cry in relief, but his body couldn't take any more. He just laid there as Bakura, brandishing two small blades in each hand, faced Jarod with his axe.

Needless to say, Bakura was ticked. Finding Ryou had been only a short-lived relief, since the part where the child being half dead wasn't supposed to happen. How come he wasn't able to find him earlier? Ryou must've been scared…_I'm supposed to protect him! _Bakura mentally scolded himself, tightening his grip on his weapons. _No one hurts my prince! _

Bakura dove in.

Ryou was stunned by the clear, murderous intent written all over Bakura's face. He would never tell anyone how happy it made him to know that Bakura had been concerned.

Jarod parried Bakura's blow with a large side-sweep with his blade. It looked to be heavier than an actual long sword, but the man swung the axe like it was a toothpick. Bakura nearly lost his balance from the contact alone, sliding at least a foot to the slide.

He had barely reestablished his footing when the axe came straight down for his head. Bakura gritted his teeth as he ducked, shoving his twin knives above his head in a cross block. There was a struggle for ground, Bakura pushing up and Jarod trying to bear down.

"Who the hell are you?" Jarod hissed, his arms quaking from the effort of trying to keep Bakura at bay.

"I'm the one who's going to kill you," Bakura growled, his lavender eyes flashing. With a grunt, Bakura swiftly slid his blades away as he dropped low and swept a foot across Jarod's legs, sending him crashing.

Jarod's felt his weapon fly out of his hands as he was thrown back. The axe smashed into two upon glancing off the alley wall. He made a choking noise as he attempted to scramble away, never really getting to his feet.

"Who are you?" he shouted, his voice incredulous. This man, this…thief…he could move unbelievably _fast_. To be able to slide underneath a blade and knock a man down while Jarod himself tried to slice his head in two.

"I already told you." Bakura angrily slammed a hilt of one of his blades into the man's temple, knocking him out.

He stood there, in the middle of four sprawled men, panting. His left hand immediately dropped the knife it held. Bakura clenched his teeth as the pain from the metal plate burned and seared his entire left side.

Sheathing both of the small swords, Bakura nursed his throbbing left hand as he quickly made his way to Ryou, calling the prince's name.

"You idiot!" he said, yanking the child into his arms. "Do you have any idea how pissed I am?" The little prince, struggling to keep his eyes open, sobbed. He tried to apologize, but no words came out. Ryou felt terribly guilty until he noticed that Bakura was crying, too. "I think I'm more pissed with myself, than with you…" As Bakura defiantly rubbed a hand against his face, he muttered, "Keep making me look bad, and I'll never forgive you."

Ryou would have laughed at Bakura's last comment if his body hadn't been so worn. He tried to speak again when three words shattered the moment.

Sera loomed behind Bakura, her eyes red. She fell to her knees as she screamed, "You killed them!"

---  
AN: Wow, intense chapter. Please review! I'll have the next chapter up by Saturday. Thanks for reading!


	22. Insight

AN: I love the spring breeze nowadays. It feels really nice at night, and the sun is great in the middle of the day. I like how the sunlight lasts longer, too. It really puts me in a good mood! I hope you enjoy the spring days, too!

Thanks to…

casaragi: Hehe, touch Ryou and you die, you thugs! Lol. Ryou is growing up fast, but he's not the only one growing, right? Bakura's learning, too! Thanks for the review!

Tails7651: Really? That's great to hear! I'm also glad that Ryou escaped from those guys…Thanks for the review!

dragonlady222: Yeah, I was going to do a little side story on Sera, but it would have had no relevance, really, to the story. She was really desperate, but selling out Ryou is definitely not going to sit well with anyone, especially Bakura. Thanks for the review!

FlyingShadow666: Erk, sorry! Lol. I try not to leave too many, but it's hard to find a good place to cut off! I don't want chapters to be like, ten pages long with updates every two weeks or so. I'll try to update sooner this time, like…say, Monday night? But no guarantees! I'll try hard, though! Thanks for the review!

Another AN: I don't know why everyone assumed that Bakura killed the thugs…maybe I portrayed it like that? Ehehe…Either way, they aren't dead. So…please read on!

Chapter Twenty One: Insight

_What a stupid girl,_ Bakura thought cynically, wondering as to who the hell she was. He looked her over, unsure of what to say.

"They aren't dead," Bakura stated plaintively. He didn't know how else to put it.

The girl took a step back, still heavily panting. She had obviously been running to get here, but why?

Irritated, Bakura didn't like the fact that he didn't know who all these people were! "Who are you?"

The girl's eyes widened. She didn't say anything for a moment, her gaze going from Bakura to Ryou.

Bakura could feel Ryou tense up in his arms. He pieced two and two together. Immediately, he tightened his hold and growled, "If you want your companions to stay alive, then leave now."

Before the girl could protest, Bakura stood up and glared at her. "Go fetch someone to help them," he said, watching the girl's expression turn to surprise. "Linger any longer and I may just kill them."

Tears of confusion and hate appeared as the trader girl ducked her head and turned tail to find help. Halfway down the alleyeway, she stopped for a second and yelled back, "You'd better take good care of Ryuza! Make sure you don't lose sight of him again, ya hear? It's dangerous for a kid like him alone in the streets." Then she was off again.

Bakura watched her go, unconsciously shifting Ryou to his right side to ease the pain on his plated shoulder. _You don't have to tell me that. _

---

At the Palace…  
--- 

Marik braced himself against the door with his men as the Romans on the other side tried to force their way into the dining hall. Behind him, a handful of archer stood at ready in case they failed to hold the enemy at the doors.

_This is bad, _Marik thought, soaked in sweat as he gritted his teeth. It was pure luck that the Pharaoh had been looking for Ryou that night, though on any other given night it would have been really bad. The route to Ryou's room was through the dining hall, where soldiers had made the Pharaoh halt. If the Pharaoh had been in his room, he would be dead by now.

_We lost half the guard to the city festival…and no matter how many flares we set, no one's going to come since they thinks it's part of the party. Our forces were halved again during the surprise attack, where the Romans opened the main gate and flooded in. _

The Captain glanced back for a brief second before turning back to the door. The Crown Prince was no where to be found, and Alec was still at the Pharaoh's room. Both were probably not going to survive the night.

_No matter what, Bakura…_Marik tightened his hold on his longsword. _No matter what, you mustn't come back till sunrise. It should all be over by then. _

Sending a prayer to Ra, Marik slowly exhaled and grimly encouraged his men.

However, they all knew what he knew; their chances of seeing tomorrow were close to none.

---  
Cairo  
--- 

The small candle flickered in a dark room, revealing two silhouettes on the bed. A basin of water and a few clothes were placed on the stand resting next to the bed. Sitting on the bed was a topless prince, and kneeling next to him was a thief.

"Bakura, I want to go home," Ryou murmured as the thief carefully soaked his exposed stomach.

The thief didn't hear him. He was frowning at the large bruise adorning the child's midsection, speckled with little splinters, regretting not hitting those thugs a bit harder. He dipped the cloth in water again and tried to coax the chips of wood out.

"Bakura, I want to go home!" Ryou whined, trembling slightly now.

"You should've been more careful," Bakura muttered, obviously not heeding the child's words.

"Bakura!" Out of frustration, Ryou brushed off the thief's arm and shouted, "I want to go home!"

There was a yelp as Bakura landed in a sitting position, cradling his left arm. He winced as his shoulder froze, sending a flare of pain up his limb. His muscles were still sore from the fighting it had sustained just moments before. Bakura would have barked back, but he felt he had no right. He was still a little mad at himself for losing sight of the prince in the crowd.

"I want to go home!" Ryou cried, pulling his legs in and sobbing. "I want to go home!"

Bakura bit back a sharp reply, clenching his jaw against the hell his arm was giving him. "We're going to leave for the palace soon," he said, his right hand groping blindly for the wet cloth he had dropped. "But not until I see to that wound of yours."

"My stomach's fine!" the child shouted, pushing Bakura away. He wanted to feel the comfort of having guarded walls and gates between him and the dangerous people. He never wanted to set foot in Cairo again.

He had been scared for his life for the first time that night. It had been different this time because he had been alone, and without power. Easily separated from his guardians, easily caught by the bad people. Usually he had authority. In the Palace, no one dared to disobey him or hit him or even yell at him except his brother and father. Yet outside, as a normal person, he didn't even have a voice.

_Is that what it means to be a civilian of Egypt? _

Someone wet gently touched his cheek. Ryou blinked, reeling back from his thoughts. With a worried look, Bakura was cautiously checking the slap that Ryou had received earlier for crying.

Instantly, Ryou felt absolutely dreadful.

"Eh? What's wrong, Ryou?"

His head bowed away, Ryou was crying again.

Bakura felt a pang of guilt. "Does it hurt?"

When the small hand reached out and took the damp cloth from Bakura's hand, the thief was a little surprised. Still confused at Ryou's sudden change of manner, Bakura didn't say a word as Ryou couldn't bring himself to look at his eyes.

"I'm sorry," the child whispered. "I…" Ryou gently rolled up Bakura's left sleeve as the thief frowned. "I'm acting like Nyq, aren't I?"

With a shaking hand, Ryou took care to not press too hard as he cleansed the blood-drenched shoulder of the thief he had taken more than just the life of.

And it only further pained and pleased him to know that he didn't mind.

---  
AN: It's not over yet! Marik's still in trouble, as is everyone else! Please review, and tell me what you think of the ending of this chapter (if it was at all confusing). Thanks for reading!


	23. Break Through

AN: This chapter is a little short, sorry. I promise the next one will be long to compensate.

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: Yup yup, I hope Ryou becomes a great leader from all the lessons he's learning. Nyq stands no chance; he's too ignorant and full of it. Thanks for the review!

ONIX-21: Aw, I'm sorry this is going to be a short chapter. I'm glad you liked the previous one, though. Thanks for the review!

FlyingShadow666: Why thanks! I hope you like this one, too. Thanks for the review! 

Shamise: Yup, and thanks for the review!

Chapter Twenty Two: Break Through 

"Fall back!" Marik shouted, his arms shaking as he crossed swords with a Roman. "Fall back!" 

His men, all scattered around the hall, slowly and strategically started to make their way toward the one door that they had been trying to defend the entire time. By a quick glance, Marik could tell that most of the men left alive were the veterans and experienced; the others hadn't stood a chance against the skilled intruders. 

As soon as the entrance to the dining hall had fallen, Marik had sent the Pharaoh to the one room only accessible through the dining hall; the private treasury. It was well hidden behind the throne, but it held no escape route like the actual treasury the Palace shared with Egypt.

_We're so dead,_ Marik thought, kicking his enemy down as he took as many steps back as he could. The little room was barely big enough to accommodate ten people, let alone the twenty or so soldiers he had left.

They had to guard that door no matter what. Before the enemy had broken into the hall, Marik had explained to his men that the treasury's entrance and presence had to be kept secret at all costs. Guard the throne, but never reveal what real treasure it held.

Marik hacked down another attacker, and held his sword at the ready for the next one. However, he didn't expect an archer.

An arrow thudded soundly into his leg. Marik let out a strangled cry, falling onto one knee. He gritted his teeth and tried to rise.

His entire body grew heavy.

_Shit, it's poison. _

---  
Back in Cairo  
---

Bakura was keeping out of the dark passages, but trying not to stray too deeply into the crowds. He kept a firm hold on Ryou's hand as he fought against the surge of drunk and sober people.

Again, he saw the guards lining either side of the streets, and he grew more and more nervous. He didn't know why, but seeing so many of the soldiers in Cairo rather than at the Palace wasn't very comforting.

Ryou constantly squeezed Bakura's hand to make sure he was doing okay. He didn't want to get separated from the thief again; all he wanted was to be home.

The little prince kept his gaze glued to the ground. Making eye contact with strangers was scary enough already, after his incident with Sera. Scraps of rags, discarded and trampled foods, and even some lost sandals were the only things he saw until they finally reached the main road leading to the Palace.

Slowly, the number of people started to thin out. Bakura was probably walking a little faster than necessary, but Ryou didn't mind. He was getting tired and sick of the festival air in the city, especially since it was quite shocking how he had nearly lost his life while people laughed and danced the night away.

Bakura frowned, his eyes narrowing as they drew closer and closer to the gates of the Palace. No one was around anymore but oddly enough, there were no guards standing watch, either.

_What the hell? _Bakura knew that Marik would never let slackers on the night watch unless… 

Ryou didn't notice that Bakura had stopped walking as soon as they had entered the Palace threshold. He kept moving forward, yawning, until he was jerked back roughly by the thief.

A hand muffled his alarm. Ryou glanced up and saw Bakura sweating. Baffled as to why Bakura was so hesitant, Ryou took a good look around the open courtyard.

There were corpses littering the entire front of the Palace. 

Ryou's eyes widened. The only thing that resounded in his ears was his slow, strained breathing. _W-what? _His senses were stifled with bewilderment at first, but then it quickly morphed into pure hatred and anger. The bodies…there were so many… 

_Why? _The familiar faces of the guards and soldiers were frozen forever in a vivid mask of death. They were all dead, all gone, all departed. Ryou choked back a sob, shaking uncontrollably as he grated his teeth. Most of them had family, most of them had children, most of them were friends. _Who…_

He stopped breathing. _Who could…so many…in cold blood? _There was a soft ripple as a low growl filled the prince's mental realm. _**Who indeed? **_Long threads of something black gripped Ryou's mind. _**Are you going to let them live? **__What can I do? I'm just…a little…_He swallowed hard, shakily taking a breath to clear his mind. It didn't work. _**You were their prince…now they are dead because of you! **_

_It's not my fault! _Ryou wanted to gasp for breath as something black seemed to clog his throat. He struggled against the shade in his mind, but when it wrapped itself around his pained mind, the coolness it brought was too alluring. His resistance fell immediately. _**They who did this must be punished…kill them. Kill them for the soldiers who died here. **_

The child's shoulders went lax. His chocolate eyes, filled with grief just moments before, turned an awkward blank.

Then a slow shade darkness rippled through his eyes.

A high-pitched cry, screaming of resentment and fury, resounded throughout the courtyard.

_**Who did this? **_

Bakura, who had been examining the bodies while trying to restrain his own anger, was too stunned to move. Did that inhuman scream emanate from Ryou? He stared at the young prince's back stiffened. "Ryou?"

Despite his incredible speed, Bakura hadn't been fast enough to grab the prince's tunic as Ryou, who had been in a daze, charged straight into the Palace.

However, just by glimpsing at the way Ryou ran, Bakura could tell there was something different about the prince.

His eyes no longer held the innocence of a child.

---  
AN: Again, sorry for the shortness! Please review, and expect an update by, at the latest, Friday. Thanks!


	24. Reason

AN: Holy cow, this chapter took a LONG time. I hope you like it (it gets better as it progresses…Well, I think) so please enjoy. (School's almost out! Yay!)

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: Ryou's dark side isn't really a second, separate person, like Yami and Yugi or Marik and Malik, ya know? I also hope Ryou doesn't get himself killed in the process, or doesn't kill in the process. Thanks for the review!

Shamise: No problem. Thanks for the review!

FlyingShadow666: Let's hope Marik survives, yes? Thanks for the review!

Anime WarriorSkye: Cool, lol. Thanks for the review!

Tails7651: The dark side of Ryou isn't really a separate part of him, like Yami and Yugi or Bakura and Ryou, etc. It's just the 'dark' side, when someone's pushed too far, ya know? Let's hope Ryou doesn't kill, or get killed…Then again, he is lost to a more violent side of himself. Thanks for the review!

Chapter Twenty Three: Reason

Alec winced as someone's sword bit into his side. He grunted in annoyance before he shifted his weight away, making the attacker stumble right past him. Letting out a snarl, he slammed his own broadsword right into the Roman's back before turning to face his next opponent.

He knew. He knew that the room he was guarding held no little prince. Yet he grimly tightened his grip on his weapon and assumed a ready stance as he awaited the enemy. The Romans didn't know. They thought the young prince was hidden away, safe in the doors behind Alec's back.

This was all he could do to repay the Pharaoh for the kindness and mercy he had shown the foreigner. Despite the fact that Alec didn't really like the way his sovereign ruled his kingdom and family, Alec stayed faithfully by his side because he felt he had to. Protecting the Pharaoh's youngest, who could not fight, from being tainted by blood and battle was the least he could do for the man who had saved his life.

Now, seeing a few soldiers he had personally trained backing him, Alec felt confident that what he was doing was right.

However, his self-assurance shattered when a Roman screamed bloody murder and collapsed beyond the invisible border that both Egypt and their enemies had established.

There was a pause in the clanging and grunting and shouting as every head turned to witness what exactly had happened.  
Alec's face paled at the sight.

Swaying slightly and covered in blood…there stood the youngest Prince of Egypt, licking the back of his hand.  
Slowly, a grin spread across the child's face.

For the first time, the Royal Guards saw their leader at a loss for words. Alec nearly dropped his sword when the child smiled maliciously at him with the darkest eyes he had ever seen.

_Had they always been black?  
_  
But their silent exchange broke off instantly when the little prince seemingly disappeared.

_What the hell? _Alec took a step back as the closest Romans screamed and collapsed. A large gash materialized onto their chests, bleeding so profusely that all the guards could see for a moment was red.

Ryou reappeared a little ways away from the dying soldiers, his eyes alight with pleasure. It was then Alec realized that the boy hadn't disappeared – he had simply moved too fast for his eyes to follow.

Alec swallowed hard, stepping back in fear despite himself.

_A demon…_

---

_Shit! _Bakura was at a fork in the maze of hallways of the Palace. The left path led to the dining hall, but the right one would take him to the sleeping quarters of the royalty. _Which way? _

Bakura clenched his fist hard enough to draw blood from his palms. When did Ryou get so _fast_? Even the thief king had a hard time tracking his movements! He could have sworn that Ryou had only gotten a few seconds on him, yet already Bakura didn't see him anywhere.  
_  
I choose…right! _

The snow-haired thief rounded a corner as he charged toward the residencies, swearing to Ra that he would visit the temple every day from here on out if the Sun God would let him reach Ryou before it was too late.

As Bakura was about to turn into the last passageway, he nearly lost his footing.  
_  
F-ck! _Maneuvering his weight and arms rapidly to keep from falling, Bakura barely caught himself in time.

His eyes widened as he realized what he had slipped on.

Blood.

It was all over the floor, and it was sending chills down his spine. As he stared at his distorted reflection in the red, he couldn't help but think _if Ryou went this way…if Ryou…killed…_

Bleakly, Bakura pulled himself together and drew a shaky breath. He could see the fighting at the end of the hall, right in front of Ryou's room.  
_  
If Ryou took anyone's life, the burden of that life __**will**__ be put on my shoulders, not his. _  
_  
I can atone…for our sins. _

Bakura closed his eyes, preparing himself. He had to stay strong, he had to stay focused.

---

"Don't kill us, sir! Please!" a Roman man screamed, groveling and trying to scuttle away on the ground.

The small child with tainted white hair grinned, reaching out for the soldier. Within the second an inhuman cry split the air, the Roman was gone.

Without a word, Ryou turned around, his head cocked to the side as his pleased look gave way to a pout. _**There are no more here…time to find some others! **_

Before the child could take another step, a shadow blocked his path.  
_**  
Who dares to stand in my way? **_

The dark eyes met the cold gray stones of the foreigner guard, Alec.

There was a silence that filled the air before Alec tentatively called out, "My prince?"

Ryou stiffened visibly as a low growl emanated from his throat. _**He is mocking you…He is pointing out your weakness that resulted in the dead of your kinsmen!**_

A quick gasp escaped Alec's lips as he barely put up the flat side of his blade in defense on time. He didn't have breath to spare for words, struggling with just trying to predict where this demon-child was going to strike next.

Alec fended off a blow to his chest, nicking the small hand just a bit. However, the collision was enough to send Alec sprawling backwards. _When did Ryou get so strong? _

Just about to assume a defensive position, the foreign guard caught sight of the boy throwing himself at him. Alec's eyes widened as he realized that he would not be fast enough to parry the child's next attack.

An offended screech forced Alec to slam his hands over his ears as Ryou smashed his hand against the steel sheaths of finely crafted silver knives.

---

Ryou grinned as he lunged forward, his hand upraised in an attack. A white man was slumped before him, his face dazed when he saw the child coming.

He was going to exercise all that raw power stimulating his body when pain exploded in his hand. A shriek resounded through the halls as Ryou's final blow was deflected by something very hard.  
_  
That hurt, idiot!_ Without thinking, Ryou crashed right into the person who was wielding the knives and tried to bite the shoulder.  
Almost instantaneously he let out another cry. His teeth rammed into metal, making his entire jaw smart. Withdrawing temporarily, Ryou backed against a wall and examined his mouth while he glared at his adversary with tears of anger blurring the image.

He didn't recognize the man, as he didn't recognize anyone else in the Palace. _**Murderers, the lot of 'em! Kill them! **_  
_**Kill him! **_

Ryou clenched his jaw and shot forward again, grabbing a short sword from the ground as he went. Vengeance was written clearly across his face as he started his offense with an uppercut.

He was going to hurt them, all those who killed his people. Those soldiers had lives – lives that had hardly been fulfilled with enough memories to last a lifetime. _No one's going to get away with stealing someone else's future…NO ONE! _

The enraged child's uppercut was followed swiftly by a midsection punch with the other hand, a round house, a spinning hook, and an elbow to the face. He snarled as his entire body felt like it was on fire, his hands shaking from the adrenaline rush.

Maybe it was because his hands had been shaking that Ryou had failed to notice that every one of his attacks that been deflected.  
"What are you doing, you fool!" Ryou's foe shouted.

The words sent a tremor through the child's body and mind. He stopped his onslaught for a minute as he gazed at his attacker from below the bloodied bangs.

Ryou's black eyes revealed nothing as he gave a one-sided smile. "It's it obvious?" he said condescendingly. "I'm avenging my people."

"You're mindlessly slaughtering everything you see," the person accused.

That familiar voice was starting to irritate him. Ryou crossed his arms, barking, "It's everyone who was in the Palace during the attack…it's their fault! They didn't do anything to save those-"

"Ryou, killing the ones who did it aren't going to bring your people back!"

The child's breath caught in his throat. _How does he know my name? _He vaguely recalled those words a while ago…_**Don't listen to him! He doesn't want you to be a good prince…he's trying to make you a bad one!**_  
_  
But…but…they aren't going to come back…the soldiers, I mean…They…they're gone…_  
_**  
Don't listen to him! You're going to fall for his trap! **_

Ryou slowly started shaking his head, suddenly confused beyond what his mind could comprehend. Out of aggravation the child yelled, "Stop it!" as he dove at his adversary, his small sword brandished high.

Finally, Ryou's opponent unsheathed a knife. But to the child's surprise, they crossed blades.

A small sword pitted against a puny knife? The sword should completely dominate!

Ryou grunted as he tried to keep his arms steady. He soon found himself glaring at lavender eyes. Something in his mind flickered.

"Kid," the knife-wielder said, "you couldn't beat me with a wooden sword. What makes you think you stand a chance with a real one!"

Ryou let out a cry of surprise as he was thrown backwards. He fell hard onto his bottom, his arms shaking as untrained muscles ached.  
There was a dull clank as something hit the floor. Ryou glanced down quickly at his side before he defiantly glowered at Bakura. Then, slowly, he lowered his gaze to his side again.

There, on the ground, having landed safely away from any pools of blood, laid an ivory hawk charm.  
_  
B-Bakura. _

---  
AN: As promised, this chapter is a longer than the normal length. I hope you enjoyed it, and please review!


	25. Try

AN: Oops, I just realized I never left an exact day of the next update…My bad. ;;

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: Hehe, thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for the review!

Shamise: You're welcome! Thanks for the review!

FlyingShadow666: lol, I was thinking the same thing when I was writing it! I'm sorry for not putting up an exact day of the next update…Thanks for the review! 

Carmen-Nemrac: Really? Thank you, and thanks for the review!

Tails7651: Hah, when you mentioned the Roman, it made me laugh. I didn't think anyone would feel for that guy. Bakura is quite awesome, eh? Thanks for the review!

casaragi: Hey, no problem.  I'm glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the review!

Anime WarriorSkye: Aw, lol. Poor Bakura indeed. Thanks for the review!

Roae: I'm glad to know that you've been reading this story for some time, and that you like it so much! Hehe, that really makes me happy. I don't mind the long review, either, it makes it more interesting for me. When you mentioned the prospect of Bakura and Ryou's character in this story, I was like, So I'm not alone! Lol. I try hard to focus on emotions, because flat characters doesn't really make a good story (or so I've been taught). And the updating part? I know where you're coming from! I have the same problem with a lot of good stories, too! They take FOREVER! So I vowed to myself that even though I may not be as good as them, I'll try hard to update as much as possible! (Hehe, my response to your review is long. XD) I'm glad to hear that you're going to review more often (I love hearing from my readers, and hearing feedback) and that this has been added to your favorites. Thanks so much for, er, all that you said (lol) and thanks for the review!

Chapter Twenty Four: Try

_I was sick of it. _

**It's just that he doesn't do anything! He sits and reads and writes. He doesn't even know how to properly mount a horse! **

_I was sick of being useless. _

**Father, you could at least teach him **_**accounting **_**so he could be actually useful!**

_Useless to them, a burden. _

**You're asking a **_**slave **_**to teach you how to fight? How pathetic can you get? **

_I tried hard. I really did. _

**If you want to be strong, you had better start getting use to the pain. **

_But in the end, it wasn't enough for them. _

_**You are pathetic. **_

_Why? Why can't I do anything? _

_I want to be able…to do it myself. _

_**But you can't. That's why you need me. **_

_But I hate leaning on anybody! _

There was a clatter of metal as someone dropped a sword. Ryou, shaken and completely broken, stood there as he cried his heart out.

The soft sobbing soon grew louder, even increasing to the level of wailing. His cries were the only thing that disrupted the air as silence in the form of ignorance kicked in. Except for one man who refused to let it slide. There was the sound of rustling cloth as a shadow knelt before Ryou.

Angry chocolate eyes defiantly met the sad violet ones.

"Ryou…"

The child tore away from the outstretched hand. "Get away from me…" Ryou saw a flicker of pain as Bakura withdrew with difficulty. "I don't want you here anymore…I don't want you here! Go away!"

Bakura was completely caught unawares. He slowly stood up, frowning. He was worried about his prince, but he didn't want to make it worse by asking him questions like, Why did you kill those people? _But judging by his behavior, I…I don't think he realizes what he's done…_

Ryou sniffled as he tried to control his output of emotions.

_I don't want to lean on you anymore. I don't want your help anymore. I don't want you holding my hand anymore! _

"J-Just go away," Ryou mumbled, turning away from the thief.

Bakura was silent for a moment, slightly smarting inside. Why was the kid suddenly rejecting him so hard? Finally, he sighed as he calmly said, "Get up."

"I said go away!" Ryou shouted back, not facing him. "Leave me alone."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Bakura barked, irked a little now.

Ryou shot to his feet and yelled, "Everything! Okay? Everything is wrong!"

Bakura growled, all patience gone. "Quit being a brat and get up! We've got to go find Marik!"

"I said leave me alone, you thief!"

"Listen, midget, quit playing the coward and get the hell up!"

"I can't!"

"Yes, you can! You have something called legs attached to your lower body, idiot! Use 'em!"

The child's voice threatened to break as he muttered, "Bakura, I can't!"

Ryou burst into tears again as he squatted back down, feeling like a baby. A husky voice scoffed as it whispered, _**How pathetic can you be? **_

"Shut up!" Ryou shouted, pulling his head into his arms. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"You…" Ryou gasped as the thief yanked him up, somewhat cradling him as he strode down the passage. "…are wasting time." Bakura was basically stamping the entire way down the hallway, venting until he reached a semi-cool level of mind.

At first, the little prince struggled against Bakura's firm grip. After a few seconds with no success, he gave one last attempt. "Let me down," Ryou said, but not with much conviction.

Bakura snorted. "Like I'm going to listen to you."

Ryou didn't say anything as he exhaled, feeling his own bones groan. Ever since that blackness left, he felt so…powerless. He felt so hollow inside, like he had lost a little of himself. He felt so tired, so…old. Unconsciously, he relaxed and leaned his head against Bakura.

There were so many questions that Bakura wanted to ask, but he tried to contain himself. Inquiring about all that now would lead to nothing good. He would have to wait until Ryou was ready to talk.

Bakura tightened his hold on the child in his arms. How could he let this go so far?

Suddenly, Ryou fisted Bakura's shirt. The teen stopped, slightly confused. He was about to ask what was wrong when Ryou murmured, "I'm not strong."

There was a moment of silence as Bakura contemplated on his answer. Truth or white lie?

Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah, that's true."

"I'm not fast."

"Yeah…but Ryou…you're getting stronger _and_ faster every day."

The child shook his head. "I try my hardest and it still doesn't matter! I'll never be good enough for them!"

Bakura glanced around, to make sure it was safe to stop for a minute. Then he put down Ryou, and knelt to face him. "Kid, who's 'them'?"

The prince's dumbfounded stare was enough to make Bakura feel like it was a stupid question. He blinked, blushing a little, and scratched his head. "Er…"

_Who _IS _them? _Ryou wondered. _Is it everybody? Is it the gods? Is it the people? Is it my father and brother? Is it Marik and Bakura? _

"I see you out there, every day," Bakura said trying again, diverting Ryou's attention back to him, "practicing drawing that bow like you're crazy. Ryou, you don't try."

Ryou felt bile rise up his throat as he felt anguish weigh down on him. He fought the amoeba of darkness as he thought, _Even Bakura?_

"Ryou, you _do._"

The child blinked. _Huh? _"W-What?"

"And you do all sorts of things, with and without my help. Look at you study! I've never seen someone read so many books. I mean, you've probably read more than Marik and I combined!"

"But I need your help with everything else," Ryou bluntly pointed out.

"If you continue to practice, soon you won't."

Ryou became frustrated, thinking that Bakura wasn't getting it. "I'm trying my best-"

"To try is not the same thing as to do," Bakura shot back. "Look, try to touch me."

After a moment of uncertainty, Ryou inched his hand toward Bakura's shoulder, scowling.

"Ah, but don't touch me," Bakura warned.

"But you just told me to-"

"To _try _to, not actually _do_."

Ryou stared at Bakura as his hand dropped back to his side.

Bakura ruffled the child's hair. "We'd better get going."

The thief had taken a few steps before calling over his shoulder to the dazed child, "You can't expect yourself to get better at something in just a few weeks. It takes years of practice and hard work."

Ryou swallowed hard, clenching his fists.

_To do, but not try…_

_**Don't listen to his crap. **_

_It takes years…_

_**He's lying. He just doesn't want you to get better. **_

A small smile of relief appeared at the child's lips as he looked up. Ignoring the frantic dark that was trying to speak, he thought to himself, _So nothing's wrong with me. _Ryou ran to catch up to Bakura. "Are we going to find Marik?"

When Bakura nodded, Ryou took in a shaky breath. He tried to calm his twitching and tired nerves as air circulated his body. He had to be as strong as he could be for now._ But I will get stronger. _

As Ryou slipped a hand into Bakura's, words rang in his ears.

_While you've given me so much, Bakura, I haven't got anything to offer. What am I supposed to do? _

_**Just do your best. **_

The hand holding Ryou's tightened just a little.

**---  
**AN: Whoa…that was pretty long. Hehe, please review! I'm not sure if the ideas were conveyed correctly, but you know…Erm, expect the next chapter by Saturday night. Thanks for reading, and have a good rest of the week!


	26. Potential

AN: This chapter wasn't edited, so I'm sorry if it's not as smooth as other chapters. It was long, so it was kind of hard to catch any mistakes by just glancing over it quickly (I'm trying to update before tomorrow, because I'll be gone for a few days). I'm sorry if it's rushed, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

Thanks to…

casaragi: lol. I also despise the voice of the 'dark/black' thing. Thanks for the review!

dragonlady222: Go Ryou! He really is growing up to be a good, little prince. Thanks for the review!

Shamise: Thanks! Thank you for the review!

FlyingShadow666: lol. Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: Hey, you do not! When you actually try, not just scribble whatever you want, it's always great. Thanks for the review!

Roae: Hehe, I'm still learning, but I'm glad it's paying off. My first stories for school used to be really stiff, and my teacher was always like, They aren't human! Add emotion! Lol. When Bakura calls Ryou 'kid', it just seems normal, ya know? More natural-like? (nods). Oh, Ryou doesn't have a yami, not in this story. (I don't think he's had one in any of my stories, actually…) And I'm glad you liked the try vs. do conversation! It was hard to set up, and make it not cheesy. Lol. (Fisting a shirt means grabbing it, I thought…;; I'm not so sure anymore) I hope you like this chapter, though I didn't get to edit it thoroughly. Thanks for the review!

Chapter Twenty Five: Potential

---  
_Several years back…_

---

"_No! Papa, no! Papa!" The boy screamed, crying openly as he clawed fruitlessly at the guard's arm around his neck. Ever-licking flames of fire were reflected in his eyes as he was taken farther and farther away from the vain wailing of his dearest father. Soon, his own shouting turned to incoherent yelling and screaming. He pounded the officer with his elbows, but the heavy metal armor just bruised his elbows. _

_The weakness he felt, the helplessness, was enough to drive him insane. He tried to bite the metal gauntlet around his neck, but nothing released that iron hold. _

"_PAPA!" _

_All of a sudden, he was floating for a minute before he fell onto the guard. Not even glancing back to see why the guard had dropped him, the boy sprinted as hard as he could toward the burning hut. _

"_Idiot!" someone said, yanking him back. The boy screamed again, flailing his arms as the hut collapsed. "You could've died, you fool!" _

"_I'd rather die!" the boy screamed, tears running down his cheeks. "I'd rather die, let me die! Father! Oh my god, don't leave without me!" _

_His savior slapped him. "Don't say such a thing! Death should not be welcomed so openly…"_

_---_

Ari was growing restless. _Stupid Roman!_ he couldn't help thinking as he stood behind a pillar, watching the foreigners beat what was left of the Royal Guard senseless. _Hitting them is not going to provide answers. They are too strong for that…_

The urge to pound the soldiers, he could understand. He wanted to extract and relieve some of the resentment that haunted him, but he was trying hard to keep his eyes on the goal: kill the Royal family.

He glanced over at Juno, and saw his friend's expression agreed with his thoughts. When will the stupid foreigners ever learn?

Finally, the captain of the Romans screamed in frustration as he stalked away from the silent bloodied and bruised bodies of the guards. He started cursing in his native language before he fiercely drew a breath and regained his calm almost instantaneously. He gave Ari a look that said, You try.

Ari grinned, loving this adrenaline rush. He knew exactly what to do. "Juno, drag the Royal Guard's Captain over here." Ari himself strode casually over to the fallen guards, who were all glaring at him.

"What is the meaning of this?" one of the them huffed, holding his side as he struggled to breathe. "You are of Egyptian descent, yet you are in league with these dirty Roman pigs?"

Chuckling quite coldly, Ari bent down and jerked the man's face close to his. "Listen. Egyptians aren't that much worse. They pillaged the villages of poor, hardworking folk all the time. So get off your high horse and look around, ya hear?" His voice wasn't threatening, but almost cheerful-like. However, the way that the man smiled so easily while talking about such a thing scared the guard. Was this man sane?

There was a grunt and a thud as Juno heaved the body of the Royal Guard's Captain toward Ari.

"Is he still conscious?" Ari asked, turning away from the fallen guard.

"Yeah…barely, though." Juno unceremoniously dropped Marik onto the ground, and kicked the body for good measure.

Ari studied the tanned youth before him, remembering too clearly the encounter they had had earlier in the youngest prince's room. What was his name again? _Ah, right…Marik…_

Slowly taking out a knife, he flipped Marik over so that his back was on the ground. The remaining guards, all sprawled on the ground just a few feet from their leader, watched as Ari ripped open the teen's shirt.

"Now, Royal Guards of the Palace…" Ari tilted his head to one side, feeling his nerves surge with excitement. To hold the lives of so many just at the tips of his fingers was such an exhilarating feeling.

Ari played with the blade in his hands, kneeling next to Marik as he carelessly said, "If you want your captain to live, reveal to me where the hidden room is."

Out of the corner of his eye, Ari could see the guards hesitating as they exchanged looks. Nonetheless, they remained silent.

"Your loss," Ari said with a shrug. He raised the blade high, making sure he took his time. Then, he couldn't help grinning as the thought of plunging the sharp knife into a government mutt entered his mind.

Revenge was only a stab away, and he felt thrilled to know the sweet taste.

Then, suddenly, his hand seized up as a short sword was shoved through his palm. The sword dropped right next to Marik, clattering loudly. Yet no one heard the metal hit the ground as Ari screamed.

Ari dropped his knife, cradling his hand as he cried. It was bleeding so much, but his mind was too much in a panic to comprehend the actual pain. It was the hole that was scaring him so much.

As he brought his hand to his chest, Ari saw Marik glare at him, huffing as his body fought the poison that was running amok in his system. Revulsion nearly made Ari's stomach roll over at the thought of this so called 'captain' gouging his hand. _His_ hand!

"Die, you bastard!" Ari shouted, scooping up his weapon in the other hand.

He got as far as the top of his swing, right before the downward stabbing motion before another silver dagger sliced the top of his hand.

Another scream escaped Ari's lips as he jerked back, stumbling as far away as he could from Marik's body. Because his entire focus was on his mutilated hands, he couldn't possibly have seen the smaller, steel knives fly all over the room. Each blade brought down many Roman and Egyptian men alike, hitting their marks dead on.

He retreated behind a pillar, still screaming as his eyes never left his bloodied hands.

Juno cussed vibrantly as he rolled away just in time, a knife nicking his arm just a bit. It was enough to draw blood, as well as anger. What a curse! Just before they were about to kill this 'Marik'! Juno thought about killing the captain himself, but when he glanced back down, the beaten Royal Guards had pulled themselves together and were fiercely protecting their own. He turned to the doorway, trying to find the culprit who had thrown their nearly completed plan into chaos.

Juno couldn't help but be amazed at the near perfect aim of every dagger as each one buried itself into a companion of his. Who the hell had such accuracy?

His answer was immediate; that white-haired teen, standing a few feet from the doorway of the dining hall.

A snarl ripping from his throat, Juno started charging toward the Egyptian intruder as memories of Ari's hands entered his mind. _This man is going to die!  
_

Juno's target turned just a few seconds before they collided. He saw the teen's surprised face, but it still wasn't enough to slow the thief down at all.

He cross-blocked the attack perfectly. "Get out of the way!" he shouted at Juno, overpowering the soldier almost instantly. Juno flew backwards, his sword escaping from his grip.

Letting out another yell, Juno dove at Bakura with bare hands, his eyes murderous. Bakura growled in annoyance as he wrestled his attacker to the ground as the little number of Royal Guards he could muster in the Palace ran past him, into the room. Fighting roared in his ears as he fought the desperate grip of his foe clawing at him.

Ari slipped out from behind his pillar, his face bent on revenge as he strode toward Bakura. Ignoring the 'small fry' swarming around him and his throbbing hands, he regretfully felt the tendrils of that sweet taste he had almost felt escape him.

He saw Juno standing before the thief, and couldn't help but grin. _Bakura, you're going to lose-_

An arrow thudded into Juno's back. Bakura took the opportunity to slide out from underneath the stunned man as quickly as he could.

Ari, equally stunned, watched Ryou run up next to Bakura. "I thought I told you to stay outside!" Bakura barked, immediately standing in front of him as a shield.

Ryou ignored him, concern overpowering his attention. "I didn't kill him, did I?" Ari heard him whisper as the child clutched his bow close.

Ari felt hatred swell up inside of him as another scream ripped his throat.

"Quit pretending like you care!" Ari screamed, stamping toward the two snow-haired opponents.

Ryou immediately hid behind Bakura, peeking out from behind the thief with wide, chocolate eyes.

This angered Ari even more. _Royal, my ass! More like coward! _"You kill people all the time! You kill so many innocents, you tear apart the land! You kill family and friends, and you dare to _pretend _to care about one of our deaths?" Ari shouted.

The young prince slammed his eyes shut, trembling. "I-I didn't kill anyone…" he said, his voice shaking. "I-I didn't…I w-wouldn't…He's not dead…"

Bakura grimly reached back and gripped the child's arm. He wasn't about to let Ryou have a chance to recall what he had to Roman soldiers in his angered state. Facing Ari, the thief clenched and unclenched his fists as he said, "How can you get mad at us, when you kill our family and friends, too? Have you seen the bloody massacre you left in the front yard?"

Ari laughed despite himself. He wrung his bloody hands in front of him as he thought, _Bakura, I'm going to make you suffer. I am going to make you go through hell and back. _

"That's nothing compared to the blood you sow in our fields."

"It's still a life!" Bakura shot back, suddenly angry. "How can you talk about the lives of others in such a way? Like they're just numbers or something? You're not the only one that has lost a precious one!"

Ari's eyes narrowed as he glowered at Bakura, the desire to kill him intensifying. "My father's life is worth more than any of the filth that sides with the government."

A blank, ominous wave crashed through Bakura's mind as memories of his sister riddled his eyes. He was about to draw his weapon when Ryou's hold on the back of his shirt tightened.

Bakura took a shaky breath in as he glared at Ari.

_Get ahold of yourself. _

Ari smiled.

_He _is _insane. _

_I can't believe I almost fell for his taunt…_

It was then that Bakura noticed the fighting sounds had nearly subsided. The words of the man echoed throughout the room as the thief took a quick glance up. On one side of the hall, the Royal Guards he had brought in had managed to drag most of their own wounded to safety. However, on the other side, stood venomous Romans glaring at their enemies as they tried to lick their own wounds.

"Tell me what's so great about our government?" Ari said. Every ear was now listening. "A Pharaoh who orders the deaths of his own people, and royalty that gets fat off of foods enough to feed an entire village! These aren't things to be proud of! What can we, as Egyptians, boast about our government? The government is supposed to protect its people!"

Silence met his outburst. For a few seconds, the only thing that could be heard in the room where almost everyone was glaring at someone was Juno's heavy breathing. Bakura was about to say something, when Ryou took a small step forward.

"I…"

The small voice piqued the attention in the room to Bakura. Bakura glanced behind him as Ryou, staring at the ground, tried again.

"I…I never knew about all these bad things our soldiers have done…and I have to say, I don't think our government is that great," Ryou quietly admitted. "But...if you took over, or the Romans…there would be fighting like this all the time, right? There will be killing like this all the time, right?"

"And you're saying we should just let the government do what it wants?" Ari spat, his thirst to kill spreading toward the child as well.

"I can…talk with father…but…" Ryou slowly brought his gaze to match Ari's. Determination was evident in his features as Ryou calmly and confidently said, "I promise that I'll change it. I'll change it for the better."

---  
AN: Please review! I'm sorry for the abrupt cut, but it was kind of getting a little long. Um, expect the next update around Tuesday or Wednesday night! Thanks for reading.


	27. Change By Riptide

AN: Hehe, our plans for the weekend were messed up, so I ended up not going camping (which kind of sucked, may I point out). Oh well, that just means I got to work on PT a little more.

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: Ryou has grown into a very fine prince. (Better than that slop of a Crown Prince). He's matured enough to see what the enemies would bring to Egypt, but he's still concerned with killing. Hehe, not fully grown yet! Thanks for the review!

FlyingShadow666: I'm glad you liked it so! Thanks for the review!

casaragi: Er, no, that was Bakura. Eheh, sorry if it wasn't clear. Thanks for the review!

Roae: (I'm quite sure this review was left by you, but if it was someone else, please let me know!) Thanks so much for all the feedback! I went and re-edited the chapter since I never got to go camping anyhow. It makes me happy to know that you read my other stories as well (and even favorited one!). And yes, Ari is a Kul Elna villager (though I manipulated the event to my needs ;;). Ryou doesn't recall taking the lives of Roman soldiers during his rampage, and it's good to know that you're concerned for Marik. Lol. Thanks for the review, and leave some feedback again if you've got time! Thank you!

Chapter Twenty Six: Change by Riptide

Ari felt panic rise in the back of his mind as uncertainty pounded him like a hammer. He couldn't decide whether to kill the child or not. Unlike any royalty he had met before, this little prince was trying to understand the feelings of people like him. Out of hesitation, he swallowed hard and took a step, relaxing slightly.

_But his kind…killed father…_

Bakura saw the man's grip on his sword tighten. "Lies…" Ari murmured, shaking his head. "Lies!" he loudly repeated, as if trying to remove any lingering doubts. "You're lying!"

Ari took a step forward, ready to exert his revenge at all costs when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He would've swung at the man, not caring if it was an enemy or an ally, but the sturdy hold told him it was the Roman Captain. The fingers digging into his skin made him grit his teeth and remember why he was here.

The Roman Captain knew he had gotten Ari under control. He smirked before taking a few steps forward, his eyes never leaving Ryou's.

"I do not care," he began, striding slowly toward the prince, "if you can 'change' Egypt. You may be too young to understand, but this country is beyond saving. The people will never place their trust in your government again."

Ryou didn't know who this man in the red fur cape was, but he didn't like him. However, he kept a composed front and simply said, "I'll never know unless I try."

The man came closer, and was about to crouch in front of the child when a dagger flew past his face.

Not graceful in any sense, the man stumbled back to have Ari catch him. He sprang back to his feet, absolutely livid as he shouted, "Are you out of your mind?"

Bakura held a second dagger in his hand, Ryou held behind him again. "Who ever said we were allies to begin with?" Bakura said casually.

When the Roman tried to speak, the strange white-haired teen glared at him. Sweat slightly broke on the Roman's forehead as he tried to conceal the small knife dripping with poison in his cape. _He knows. _He had been so close to eliminating the only remaining figure of hope for the Egyptian soldiers. He hadn't thought that anyone would catch his small slight of hand.

There was a deafening roar as grunting and yelling filled the hall again. Soldiers, having difficulties of telling apart friend and foe, hacked and slashed as if they were possessed.

No one dared to come near the middle grounds, where the leaders of both forces were standing.

The Roman Captain watched the youngest Prince of Egypt protest a bit as the white-haired teen tried to pull him out of the fighting. _Who is that man? _The teen donned no clothes with a sign of a slave or a soldier of any kind. Why was he even here?

Bakura swept Ryou off his feet out of annoyance, and was proceeding toward safety to literally drop him off.

"I can fight!" Ryou shouted. "Bakura-"

Air rushed past him as Ryou swiftly met the ground. Pain exploded in his vision in splotches of white as he blinked tears away.

_What? Why'd he drop me? _

Heatedly, Ryou glanced back up at Bakura to find his back staring at him. Beyond him, all the child could see was the Roman captain pressing against Bakura.

Bakura hissed as the Roman angrily yelling at him in another tongue, pushing him into Ryou. The thief tried to stay his ground, planting his feet firmly as he scowled at the enemy.

Despite this, Bakura slowly started sliding backwards. He was panting now, endeavoring to keep himself from crushing Ryou against the wall behind them. Ryou could hear the incoherent noises Bakura was making.

"Bakura, are you-"

"Move Ryou!" Bakura shouted over his shoulder.

"But-"

"MOVE!"

Ryou did as he was told, slightly stunned at the ferocity of Bakura's words. He leapt out of the way, and turned around to yell something at the thief as Bakura slammed into the wall.

Whatever he was going to say, he didn't remember.

The sight of the smeared dark stains on the ground where Bakura was forced to back up… of the Roman captain's sword shoved right under the metal plate Bakura's shoulder bore… of blood flowing freely from Bakura's hands that were wrapped around the blade to stop it from going any deeper… it was all enough to render Ryou useless of more than just words.

Bakura winced in pain. Sweat was getting into his eyes as his hands trembled to keep the steel sword at bay. The tip hadn't gone in deep, really just past skin. But if it went any further, it would definitely mark his end.

Bakura fought back flinching as the sword wielder shoved his weapon forward. He saw Ryou staring at him.

_Ryou…_Bakura clenched his jaw. _You cry too much. _

With a choked grunt, Bakura pressed his hands against the flat of the blade. "It's time to stop playing," he murmured. Now he didn't have to worry about Ryou's wellbeing since all the attention was on him. Smirking at the Roman soldier, he kicked the man in the most vulnerable spot in males.

The pressure on the weapon let up immediately. Bakura didn't hesitate as he yanked the sword out, a strangled cry escaping his lips. Wheezing as he fought to catch his breath, Bakura glanced at Ryou and couldn't help grinning.

Adrenaline pumped through him as if it were oxygen. Already his mental barriers against pain were in place, the wounds he carried not registering correctly in his mind. All he craved was a fight, forgetting for the moment that he was human, made of flesh and blood, forgetting that Ryou's safety came before his pleasure in life-and-death situations, forgetting that he had given up fighting to separate himself from his sister's killers and the good people of Egypt. This brilliant feeling, this sensation…this had been his _life_ before he had made a promise to Kaiya to give up tomb robbing, the life he had thrown away when he decided to stay with Ryou.

Ryou thought Bakura was crazy, to be _smiling _when he had nearly been impaled! However, he didn't get to express anything because at that moment the Roman was back on his feet and swinging.

It was a downward cut, and Bakura was getting sick of the same attack. He sidestepped as the blade missed by a hair. In the same step, he unsheathed a silver knife with enough speed to meet the sword at the middle of its swing, knocking out of the opponent's hands.

He let the man regain his balance as he tried to breathe normally and get his hectic nerves under control.

"I would have died in shame if you had killed me," Bakura panted, grinning. He spun the dagger in his hand, as if to amuse himself. The Roman snarled and upon realizing his sword was out of reach, pulled out his own knife.

"Who says I can't kill you now?" he retorted.

Bakura barked in laughter. Then he loosely assumed a fighting stance. "Because you can't cheat anymore."

The Roman voiced his rage, but didn't attack as Bakura thought he would. "You're not as dumb as you look."

Scoffing, the captain self-assuredly said, "You won't last long…not with a wound like that on your chest."

All smugness in the man's voice evaporated when Bakura laughed, grinning again.

"Wanna try me?"

---

AN: Wow, that was…interesting. Lol. I erased the entire middle and did it over again, but it took a while since I had a bit of a writer's block. I apologize if it is a little rough around the edges. The next update will be on either Friday or Saturday! (Probably Friday, since school's going to be out by then). Thanks for reading, and please review!


	28. R Y O U

AN: I apologize for the late chapter… I know I said I would update sooner, but I was caught up in the mood where electronics of any sort just made me feel sick. I couldn't write anything that way, and it was all just giving me a headache to try to write when I wasn't in the mood. So, I'm really sorry for the late update.

Thanks to…

FlyingShadow666: Why thanks! I'm so sorry this chapter is late… X( Thanks for the review!

dragonlady222: The Crown Prince is somewhere in the Palace, and the Pharaoh is hiding in the second treasury. And yes, they need to get rid of the Romans! But I agree with you, Ryou needs to be Pharaoh! Yup, yup. I'm sorry the chapter is late. Thanks for the review!

gecko-grl-2: I'm glad you liked it! Sorry this chapter is late. Thanks for the review!

casaragi: lol. Go Bakura! I'm sorry this chapter is late… ;; Thanks for the review!

Roae: Hehe, that's okay. I figured you would leave a long one! (I love them, by the way) I was/am late with this chapter, so I apologize as well. Ari is pronounced "Ah-ree", it's like Armenian or something. Ryou is such a great speaker, he's going to make a great Pharaoh. And I think Bakura's fricking awesome, too! He's so fast (or at least, that's how I see him and that's how he is in my stories) and I love drama when he's in it. Um, the Kul Elna attack happened like, four or three years ago. Bakura was into tomb robbing around the pre-teen age (like, 10-13). Kaiya didn't like him breaking and entering so often, because he started to do it so frequently. Ooh, and I love that line, too! Thanks so much for the review! I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Tails7651: Oh, that's okay. I'm late with this chapter. Whoo, Egyptian Monarchy indeed. Lol. Thanks for the review! (Go Bakura! Fight and win!)

Anime WarriorSkye: Haha, you're so right! I'm really sorry this chapter is late. Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: I like that line, too! Thanks for the review! Sorry this chapter is late, couz.

Chapter Twenty Seven: R.Y.O.U.

Fear was not something the Roman captain was used to. For the first time in his life, he began to doubt his own skills in swordsmanship. He could feel each antagonizing second tick on by as this ragged stranger before him created a larger rift between his confidence and capabilities.

The idea of retreat flickered in his mind for a second, before he shoved it out. His hands were shaking as more time passed, and each second seemed to mark his uncertainty with a dark blotch.

Nervously shifting his weight to his other foot, the Roman hesitantly glanced back, before shaking his head. He had to fight, he couldn't turn back now… Gritting his teeth, the captain tried to increase his determination as he slowly assumed an open fighting stance with his dagger clenched tightly in his hand.

Bakura barked in laughter as the captain sprung forward. He made it look easy, knocking away each and every attack that the enemy threw at him.

Then, when the thief's foe tried a downward strike, Bakura caught the blade between his own two silver ones. He leaned in close and offhandedly said, "You suck with knives."

Ryou saw the Roman's eyes go wide as Bakura ducked and elbowed the man's stomach with incredible speed. He didn't stop there; an uppercut punch followed through the foreigner's chin before Bakura kicked the man's side.

There was a painful hiss as skin skidded against the marble floor. Ryou bit his lower lip, feeling his own leg tingling at the mere sound of the burn. Bakura trotted over to the fallen man, and bent over as he grabbed a handful of the fur cloak.

"Stop, Bakura," Ryou immediately said fearfully as the thief raised a knife. "That's enough."

Bakura felt a small surge of anger wash over him. He knew that the child was right, that crushing the man's confidence was enough, but…he didn't want to stop. And besides, who was he to order him around?

Then, the thief could hear what Marik would have to him, if he could read his thoughts.

_**Quit being so immature**_

Bakura chuckled, releasing the man and holding his head in one hand as he got up_. Stupid Marik. _

Exhaustion attacked his body as Bakura forcefully shoved the idea of fighting away. The mental walls succumbed to his agonized body as he found himself short of breath. Every fiber of his being seemed to be filled with lead as he tried to stand straight, and it was painful to even execute the simple act of sheathing his daggers.

Ryou watched Bakura stagger toward him, cradling his left arm as it bled profusely from underneath the metal plate. As he took a quick look around the room, he knew all this useless fighting was almost over.

Already Romans were laying down their weapons when they saw their leader crumpled on the ground. Ryou was about to walk forward to meet Bakura when he saw a shadow fall on his path from behind.

Without really thinking, Ryou paused and glanced behind him and nearly lost his life for his carelessness.

Someone's arm, Ari's, collided with his throat at the very beginning of the swing. If it had been near the end of the swing, the child's neck would have snapped in half from the momentum alone.

Gasping for breath, Ryou stumbled backwards pretty far as he clawed at his throat, tears sliding down his cheeks. No air was coming in, and he started to hyperventilate. His heart rate nearly tripled as he wheezed and coughed at the same time. He could see Ari charging again at him, his sword unsheathed and rushing straight for him.

There was a short scream as Bakura yanked Ryou back, the sword smashing right through the teen's tunic and into the metallic plate eating his shoulder.

Ari's eyes grew wide as he stepped back, stunned, as Bakura clutched his shoulder through the torn red clothes. _W-why so much blood? _Just moments ago, he wouldn't have hesitated to kill the teen who knelt before him now, grasping his bloodied shoulder. But when it came to the actual act of it…

Ari's mind was racing as he stared at Bakura kneeling on the ground. The lavender eyes were blank as his breathing grew uneven."B-Bakura?" he whispered, scared of what he might have done.

The plate wasn't visible, but he could feel its presence on his skin. Thank the gods it wasn't dented… Bakura shuddered as he tried to move his arm. "N-no more…" he murmured, wincing as he fought another wave of pain.

"I-I'll get you to a doctor," Ari hurriedly reassured the thief, stepping forward to pick him up.

However, a small figure blocked his path, his arms spread out wide. Ryou was panting heavily as he glared at Ari, feeling so frustrated by this man's absurdity. He was tired of it all, of fighting! Why didn't this guy just give up already? Didn't he get it? Revenge was just an excuse to kill!

"You are such an idiot!" Ryou shouted, wanting nothing more than the ability to thrash the fool that stood before him with his hands wrung in front of him, looking lost. "Whatever path you take, whatever decision you make, stick with it you coward! Quit hurting him and then worrying about him! You're just making it harder for Bakura!"

Ari snarled as he grabbed the front of Ryou's shirt, yelling, "What do you care? He's your dog, isn't he?"

Squirming hard, Ryou tried to fight his way out of Ari's shaking hands. "He-"

Ari just tightened his hold as he lifted the child higher and higher. "He's your slave, right? He's yours?"

_Does anything go through that thick skull of his? _Ryou mentally screamed. _He just hurts Bakura by following his emotions without thinking! _Infuriated by the man's close-mindedness, Ryou fiercely kicked with all his might at his captor's face.

Ground ran up at him to meet him, producing a strangled cry from the child. Ryou felt something break or crack from the fall, but he slowly picked himself up as he glared at Ari.

"How stupid can you get!?" Ryou screamed.

Ari was spitting blood out of his mouth, as well as a tooth that Ryou had knocked loose, when he literally snapped.

"He's not a dog!" Ryou continued, a little angry himself. "He's not a slave, he's not mine! He's Bakura!"

"Don't talk like you know him," Ari muttered, slowly wiping away the dribble of blood from the corner of his mouth. He looked past Ryou, at Bakura, and he instantly grew pale.

Ryou dared to glance back, and saw that Bakura's soaked shirt he wore had fallen away, revealing the metal plate enveloping his shoulder.

Ari felt his very blood grow still as he read the name inscribed on the plate. Without a word, he met Ryou's gaze as his entire body grew stiff.

"I'm going to kill you."

---  
AN: I'm sorry if it's short. ;; I'll update by Tuesday night or Wednesday. Please review!


	29. Judge

AN: Well, this chapter seemed really long to me, but it turns out that its only three pages on Microsoft Word…lol, well, I hope you enjoy!

Thanks to…

FlyingShadow666: Yeah, go Ryou! Thanks for the review!

dragonlady222: Too bad Ryou's archery isn't up to par for all this close-quarters fighting. Hopefully, he'll be fine with Bakura and Marik (hopefully) at his side. I love that line, too! ('He's Bakura') Thanks for the review!

Fyre Spirit: Ah, really? That's really nice to hear.  Thank you very much! Poor Bakura indeed, and I always saw Ryou as more of an archery type, than a sword or knife person, you know? Thanks for the review!

Shamise: No sweat. Thanks for the review!

casaragi: lol, I get that a lot. And yes, don't die Bakura! Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: Hehe, I didn't mean to, really. Thanks for the review!

Chapter Twenty Eight: Judge

"W-wait!" Ryou tried to say, but the words never left his mouth. _You don't understand! _Ari shouted incomprehensible sounds as he brought his sword into position for an attack.

The little prince stood a few feet from Bakura's kneeling form, the thief clinging onto consciousness as he struggled against the agony his shoulder created. When Ryou saw the slash coming right at his head, he hesitated for only a second before he leapt off to the slide.

Ryou winced as he collided with stone, his vision fading into a view of black and white. His entire midsection flared in pain, and he knew had at least one rib was cracked. Numbness seized his entire body, though he felt like his head was going to explode. He felt like he was in overdrive, because he barely had time to breathe as he dove out of the way again.

A gust of wind, a crash, and a frustrated scream told him that Ari had missed him again. He was on his stomach now, and Ryou knew he didn't have time to turn around and leap out of danger. The fear of getting sliced in half made his heart jump into his throat as he scrambled forward, crawling as fast as he could. He couldn't feel the tears on his face, or the pain of sharp filaments of broken marble biting into his skin as he scuttled across the floor.

There was a grunt as Ari raised his sword, and Ryou stopped for a moment as he screamed, throwing his arms over his head and jerking into the fetal position. He cried, not knowing how to fend off a sword with nothing but his bare hands. He wanted someone to save him, someone to stop this man from cutting him into two.

A heavy clank to the right of the child resounded through the chamber. Ari growled as he tried to pull his sword back up, having missed the prince. However, the storming of the castle was really starting to show as he fought to raise the heavy weapon.

Ryou didn't even glance back as he struggled madly to his feet, trying desperately to get away. He almost tripped as he launched himself ahead.

Two hands grabbed him, one entangling itself in his hair while the other took ahold of his tunic. Ryou was jolted back, right into Ari's chest. By a quick glimpse behind the man, Ryou could see that the traitorous Egyptian street rat had abandoned the sword and resorted to his bare hands.

Fear swelled up inside of him like a volcanic eruption, and it was hard to fight down the urge to beg the man to leave him alone. Ryou was utterly terrified by Ari's bloodshot glare as the street rat repositioned his hands.

Ryou hadn't even taken a breath when Ari slammed him into the marble floor. So surprised by the attack, Ryou didn't scream or cry out from the pain that shot up his back.

A strong hand gripped the child's neck, and memories of the bruising chokehold that Ryou had experienced at their first meeting flashed in his mind's eye. At first, Ryou clawed at the hand as the difficulty of breathing rammed into him like a bulldozer, but stopped when Ari tightened his grip.

It took a lot of willpower to lower his hands and stop crying, but Ryou did so. His heart was still pounding like crazy as he laid on his back and at the feet of the enemy. He stared at Ari with scared eyes, trying to read the man's face as the hand around his neck never loosened.

Was he going to kill him? Was he going to make him suffer? Was he going to- 

"Why?"

Ryou blinked at the forced question, and immediately gasped as Ari's hand constricted.

"Why the hell did you ruin his shoulder like that for?" Without warning, Ari raised the child up with both hands and slammed him into the floor again. A choking sound arose from the small form, but Ari ignored it and squeezed the prince's neck hard. "Why the hell do you make us suffer? You take away a man's hard-earned money with taxes, you starve orphaned children by throwing them out on the streets! While you eat your fancy meals and live without a care in the world, we struggled to get by each and every f-cking day! You deserve to die! You, and your filthy Royal folk!"

With each word, Ari inched his face closer and closer to Ryou's while he shrieked vehemently to the young prince. When he was close enough, Ryou mustered up what little remaining energy he had and channeled it all into a fierce punch at the man's face.

It wasn't very strong, but the fact that Ryou had hit him was enough to stun Ari enough to slacken his hold on the child's throat. Ryou frantically kicked Ari's side as he rushed to stand, panting and crying at once.

"What have you done that makes your life so much better than mine?" Ryou screamed, tears streaming down his face as he stumbled backwards, trying to put as much distance as he could between Ari and himself.

The street rat glared, his arm draped across his side as he struggled to catch his breath. He looked like he was about ready to fall over and faint, but he grit his teeth and fought the blackness.

"Who are you to judge who deserves to live and who deserves to die? What have you been doing the past few years that makes your being so much more significant than mine?" Ryou paused, gasping for air as his throat burned from all the shouting.

He warily watched Ari's crumbled form, feeling crushed under the weight of the fear of being misunderstood by the man again. More quietly, he continued in a pained voice, "You can't blame an entire body of people for an atrocious act that only one of them performed. When one child in a village steals from another, do you place the blame on all children?"

The rhetorical question hitched Ari's breathing for a moment.

Ryou swallowed hard, lowering his gaze. He stared at his hands as he felt the edges of his awareness blend into nothing. Groaning, Ryou felt his body break under the stress and pressure it held, and never really knew if he had hit the ground when he fainted. All he remembered was the warmth he felt when his body was put at ease.

Ari saw the Egyptian soldiers rush forward to aid the ailing Captain of the Guard, who was shaking from merely holding the little prince. He was perspiring from the poison that was circulating around his body, turning even his lips blue.

He could hear Marik and Bakura exchange quiet words before Bakura grinned and fainted as well. Soldiers caught the thief as Marik weakly demanded that someone find and bring the High Priest, Kaiba, from the city temples. Ari could see that the remaining Romans had given up, their arms above their heads with their weapons on the side. He put his arms up as well.

Half an hour later, there was a sort of muted thunder as priests from the temples came rushing into the dining hall, some brandishing weapons. Almost immediately, all thoughts of fighting was dropped and priority went to tending the wounded.

Seeing all this, Ari couldn't help but think that maybe…just maybe, Egypt wasn't as far beyond help as he had thought she was.

What he saw as her only hope was the one Egyptian prince with snowy hair.

---  
AN: Hm, that wraps up the last and final battle. However, the story isn't done yet! Please review, and expect the next chapter by Friday or Saturday! Thanks!


	30. Before A New Beginning

AN: Hm, this is the last chapter of PT. (There's an epilogue, too!) At first, the epilogue and this chapter were going to be together, but…well, in all my other stories, the epilogue was always separate, so I decided to just follow what I've done in the past. Thanks to all the readers that have read this far! I couldn't have gotten past even the first chapter without your support.

Thanks to…

FlyingShadow666: Why thank you! And thank you for the review!

Tails7651: The last battle is over! Go Ari! Thanks for the review!

dragonlady222: Yeah, it's about time that Ari opened his eyes. I'm glad that Ryou got the message across. Thanks for the review!

Fyre Spirit: Lol, I want to hug Ryou, too! (Yay, a cookie!) Thanks for the review!

casaragi: Yeah! It's about time Ari came to his senses about his country. Thanks for the review!

Shamise: No problem. Thanks for the review!

The Vampire Prince: Thanks for the censorment. Lol. I'm glad you liked it, and thanks for the review!

Chapter Twenty Nine: Before A New Beginning

Footsteps resounded in the hall housing the Royal family. Light grumbling could be heard as an irate looking teen stopped in front of one of the rooms.

The thief paused for a second before slamming the door open. All it did was reveal another empty room. "Damn it," Bakura murmured under his breath, raking a hand through his hair with annoyance. He was really starting to get sick of this guess and check method. "Stupid kid. Where'd he go?"

Quietly closing the door behind him, Bakura went through the possible places Ryou could be. _I've already checked the library, the dining hall, his room, the hospital ward…Argh, where the heck is he?! _

The thief proceeded to stalk down the hall, his hands clenched angrily at his sides. " 'Please come get me when Marik wakes up'," Bakura mockingly muttered, glaring down the hallway. "It would be nice to know where you were going before you just left, Ryou!" the teen ranted to no one in particular, venting his frustration openly while shaking a fist in the air.

Pain flared up his arm, and Bakura winced, gently placing his arm down. _That was stupid of me…_ Bakura sighed, throwing his head back and staring at the ceiling as he let his feet wander forward.

It had been a week since the Roman assault on the Egyptian palace, and yet his shoulder still ached. If he pushed it too much, too much being as far as unsheathing his knives, it bled. He had considered asking a blacksmith to possibly take out the plate, but even the most skilled metal worker said it was unfeasible, simply out of the question.

Bakura was about to return to the palace library, to carry on his search for Ryou, when a cold, demanding voice reached his ears.

"Bakura, I thought I told you to be back for your last exam by noon in the infirmary wing."

Growling a little, Bakura turned on his heel and stalked past the High Priest Kaiba. "I know, I know! I'm going right now."

Set Kaiba followed him, shaking his head. "Don't act so childish, Bakura."

"Would you want to meet someone who's bearing bad news?" Bakura barked over his shoulder.

_So he knows…_The High Priest murmured a "No", but reinforced the fact that a final physical was needed before the thief could freely move about without Ryou worrying over him.

Knowing that Bakura was rolling his eyes at his words, Kaiba couldn't help but smile just a little.

---

Ryou yawned, shaking off the headache he was getting from thinking about last week. His mind was going to split in two if he kept wondering what exactly had happened during that big, black space in his memory before he had broken into the dining hall with Bakura.

"Ai, why can't I remember?" Ryou scratched his head before taking a deep breath. "I'd better head back…Marik might be up."

Hoisting himself from the grass, Ryou glanced around the Royal Gardens as he rubbed his slightly bruised neck unconsciously as his mind wandered to the condition of his Captain.

Marik had been out cold for nearly a week when he woke up yesterday night. Of course, only Kaiba had been there for the few minutes he had been awake so Ryou never got to thank him or apologize. Then Marik dropped off into sleep again, and Ryou was determined to be there when the Captain got up.

As the little prince trudged down the hallway, toward the infirmary wing, he tried to organize his thoughts a little more. It was all too much to take in at once! He knew he ought to drop by to visit his older brother, Nyq, but he couldn't bring himself to face the disappointment that he harbored.

During the assault on the Palace, Nyq had begged the Romans to spare his life in exchange for the knowledge of the whereabouts on the rest of the Royal Family. Ryou couldn't believe his own brother had revealed such information to the enemy! For his own life as well!

Soldiers who had overheard the Crown Prince's lowly attempts at saving himself had reported the offense to the Pharaoh. Of course, because the Palace was in an uproar from the attack, Nyq hadn't gotten in trouble just yet. However, he had locked himself in his room, away from the rest of the Royal Court.

Ryou heaved a sigh as he came walked through the doors of the hospice. Everyone was hurt in some way or other, and nothing was looking good. Ari, whom he would have liked to talk things out with some more, had disappeared after Kaiba had treated his wounds. His lessons, which would have really helped keep his mind off things, had to be cancelled since half his instructors were injured. Even his archery practice had to be halted because his beautiful bow had been snapped in half unknowingly in battle.

An abrupt command shattered the child's thoughts. "Shirt off. I've got to see that shoulder of yours." a stern voice ordered. Ryou blinked at the High Priest's tone. It was so…blank. He stepped closer to the enclosed bed in the corner of the infirmary wing, not realizing he was eavesdropping. Why was Kaiba examining Bakura's shoulder? Was there something wrong? How come they didn't tell him about this last checkup?

There was a hiss of pain, and a barked, "That hurt!". A murmured apology came next, then a curse.

"It's that bad?" Bakura sounded more like he was stating a fact, not asking a question. Ryou frowned. _What are they-?_

"Bakura, you know as well as I do," Kaiba quietly said. "I shouldn't have to warn you that your shoulder will literally kill you through blood loss if you ever fight again. Simply moving it too much will result in-"

"I get it," Bakura curtly snapped.

A hand rested itself on Ryou's shoulder. The child jumped, startled, and stared at the man standing behind him with wet eyes. Only when the Pharaoh wordlessly pointed at his face did Ryou realize he was crying.

Ryou quickly wiped the tears away as his father drove him away from the hospice. Thoughts plagued his mind as the child trembled, Kaiba's words echoing in his mental realm.

_Your shoulder will literally kill you if you ever fight again. _

"-you…RYOU!"

The little prince snapped to attention, a little surprised to find himself in his father's study, facing the Pharaoh. When had he gotten here? And why was his father so red?

"Ryou, there is…a matter I must discuss with you…No, several matters…"

The child forced his mind to calm down and focus on the present. However, the guilt and the agony over Kaiba's words were hard to push down, even as his father studied him intently.

Hesitantly, Ryou bit his lip. Was he in trouble? _Is father…nervous? _

The Pharaoh cleared his throat. "First of all…I…" he trailed off.

Ryou could tell his father was quite uncertain of himself. This was a first. "F-Father?"

"Ryou, I am…going to try to be a father not only to the people, but to Nyq and you as well…"

---  
AN: I'm sorry it's such an abrupt ending to the chapter. I promise the epilogue will make it all better! Please review! The epilogue will be up on Monday! (It goes against every fiber of my being to break off the chapter like this…grr, but I know it will bug me even more if I don't have a separate epilogue. Please bear with me for just a little more!)


	31. Epilogue

AN: Here is the epilogue, on Monday as promised. Thank you so much for reading PT, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Thanks to…

dragonlady222: Haha, me too! Ryou deserves the title far more than Nyq. And yes, I hope Marik and Bakura get better. Thank you so much for all your support!

casaragi: lol, really? (Nyq certainly doesn't deserve the position anymore). Thank you so much for all your support!

FlyingShadow666: Why, thanks! Poor Bakura indeed…Thank you so much for all your support!

Shamise: Thanks, and thank you so much for all your support!

The Vampire Prince: I know! Bakura never did anything (as far as it is revealed in the story) to deserve that stupid plate in his shoulder…stupid Nyq. Thank you so much for all your support!

Anime WarriorSkye: lol, that's okay. But aren't you excited a little about summer? (Well, I'm bummed because I don't get to go out of the US for anything this year…again. Only during school…I wonder why?) Ryou is such a smart little boy.  Thank you so much for all your support!

Tails7651: Hehe, speaking of which, I will be writing another fanfic on Ryou, soon. I'm glad you like the ending thus far. Thank you so much for all your support!

**Epilogue **

Ryou was in a daze as he aimlessly wandered around the halls. His father had really surprised him with that entire conversation. In fact, the whole time, all he had done was nod. _Ack, my head's going to explode from having too many thoughts! _Gritting his teeth, Ryou slammed his eyes shut and fervently shook his head.

"Ryou?"

Caught unaware, Ryou jerked up and found himself staring at lavender eyes.

"A-Ah, Bakura!" Something sharp pierced itself in the child's heart as his gaze swept past the teen's shoulder. _When did he come out of the hospice? _

Bakura grinned at him, ruffling his hair. "I was looking for you." Ryou grew a bright red, struggling hard to fight back the tears, but to no avail.

"Bakura, I'm sorry!" the child blurted, directing his gaze straight to the ground. He hastily brought an arm up to wipe his tears as he tried to stop crying.

There was a silence as Bakura stared at Ryou, at a loss for words. _Huh?_

"I overheard – your shoulder, it – and Kaiba said – and now, because of me – he said you might – and now you can't–" Ryou gasped as a warm hand pressed itself against his quivering lips.

To the child's surprise, Bakura scoffed and knelt beside him, shaking his head as he softly smiled.

"Ryou, you're babbling." Bakura gradually released his hand, his head cocked to the side. "Why would I need to fight?" Before Ryou could answer, Bakura grinned and said, "I thought you were going to become stronger than me."

The words struck Ryou like lightning.

_**I thought you were going to become stronger than me. **_Ryou swallowed hard, clenching his fists. _T-that's right…I'm going to become strong. _

Ryou's momentary stunned face made Bakura laugh. As he watched determination and resolve strengthen in the child's eyes, Bakura stood up. _Don't worry, kid. If I ever need to fight, I will for your sake. _

Bakura patted Ryou on the head as he said, "Hurry up, let's go to the infirmary wing. Marik's awake, and he says he wants grapes."

The thief saw Ryou's mouth fall open before the child broke into laughing. Bakura started walking down the hallway at a leisurely pace, chuckling himself.

_Ryou…grow strong. _

"Oh! Bakura, guess what?"

"Hm? What?"

"Tonight, I get to be a real prince!"

"Uh…aren't you a real prince now?"

"Well, yeah, but…I mean…"

"Quit fidgeting with your hands, Ryou. Spit it out."

"Um…N-Nyq no longer holds the title of Crown Prince."

"Eh?"

"…"

"…" 

"F-Father said the Crowning Ceremony is tonight."

"Tonight? Haha, yeah…you'll be a real prince tonight."

---  
AN: Uh, I didn't know if the ending was a little awkward or not, but I thought it ended it all nicely…Eheh, though I'm not sure. Please review (as this is the last chapter) and thanks so much for reading!


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